Trade Waste

The Water Services Bylaw 2019 has been adopted by the Council and came into effect on 1 July 2019. The Bylaw regulates the discharge of trade wastes to the wastewater system.

The Water Services Bylaw 2019 is applied to any discharge or proposed discharge into the wastewater system, other than domestic wastewater discharged directly from a building or self-contained vehicle.

Under the Bylaw relevant trade waste dischargers are required to obtain a trade waste consent. The bylaw sets limits for substances acceptable for discharge, pre-treatment required for some discharges, and also lists prohibited substances.

Council recovers some drainage rate costs via trade waste charges.

Classifications of trade waste customer

1. Permitted Trade Waste; (in which case an Approval Notice must be obtained).
2. Conditional Trade Waste, (in which case a Consent must be obtained or a Trade Waste Agreement be entered into); or
3. Prohibited Trade Waste, (in which case no Consent will be granted and no Trade Waste Agreement will be entered into, will be required to pre-treatment or additional treatment if allowed to be connected at all).

Those classifications reflect how a customer’s flow and contaminant loading compare against baseline limits set out in the Bylaw. For more information about trade waste discharges or consents, contact the Council's Water Services Officer, phone 03 419 0200, freephone 0800 801 350.

Permitted

These are customers whose trade waste flows and contaminant loads are below the baseline limits set out in the Bylaw, without any form of pre-treatment before discharge. Permitted customers will not require a trade waste consent and will not be subject to any annual inspection fees, however they are required to register their discharge with Council and be granted approval for the discharge.

Permitted (Category 1)

Equivalent to a domestic demand for water use and load

These are customers whose trade waste flows and/or contaminant loads are below the baseline limits set out in the Bylaw. An Approval Notice must be obtained.

Permitted (Category 2)

Water use demand is higher than a domestic equivalent but with a similar load

These are customers whose trade waste contaminant loads are below the baseline limits set out in the Bylaw with trade waste flows exceeding normal domestic allowance (1,000 litres/house/day, 1 m3/d, 366 m3/year). An Approval Notice must be obtained.

Conditional

These are customers whose trade waste flows and contaminant loads are above the baseline limits set out in the Bylaw, without any form of pre-treatment before discharge. Permitted customers will require a trade waste consent and will be subject to any annual inspection fees, and are required to register their discharge with Council and be granted approval for the discharge.

Conditional (Category 3)

Equivalent to a domestic demand for water use but with a higher load concentration

These are customers whose trade waste flows do not exceed domestic equivalent but exceeds the baseline limits for contaminant loads set out in the Bylaw. A trade waste consent is required, and the customer’s discharge may be subject to inspections and an annual consent maintenance fee.

Conditional (Category 4)

Significant industry and major discharges

These are customers whose trade waste flows and contaminant loads exceed the baseline limits set out in the Bylaw (either after or without pre-treatment). A trade waste consent is required, and the customer’s discharge will be subject to intensive regular monitoring and monthly trade waste charges.

Tankered waste

These are customers that transport waste by vehicle for disposal at a treatment plant or other agreed location in the wastewater system (e.g. tanker operators or mobile cleaning services). A trade waste consent is required. The customer will be subject to volumetric charging. Tankered Waste is not to be collected and transported to the disposal site until appropriate arrangements, documentation and method for disposal have been approved by Council.

Grease traps and your food business

Fats, oils and greases (FOGs) are an essential part of almost all food businesses. They are used as ingredients and for cooking purposes. FOGs residue is also left on plates and cooking utensils which, when cleaned, transfer into the sewage (public wastewater) system.

Proper disposal of FOG's is important, otherwise problems will be experienced later on as fats solidify and block sewers – these are sometimes known as ‘fatburgs’. This can occur at any point on its way to the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), including at the WWTP itself, resulting in a lower quality of wastewater treatment. Treated wastewater is discharged into the environment, so quality of treatment is important.

To prevent blockages and WWTP problems, Council requires all food businesses/premises engaged in the cooking, preparation or sale of food (e.g. restaurants, takeaways, hospitals, hotels, bakeries, butcheries and supermarkets) to install and regularly maintain a system that removes FOGs from the wastewater discharged from that business.

Grease traps are one type of system. There are three types of grease trap: passive grease traps, grease converters and mechanical grease separators.

If your business or premise is engaged in the cooking, preparation, or sale of food you must obtain a trade waste consent from the CDC before you discharge your wastewater to the sewer. This consent establishes the conditions under which food outlets and services can discharge waste to the sewer.

Applying for a trade waste consent

To apply for a trade waste consent, use the relevant online application form in our Do it Online section.

Council's Water Services Officer will contact you on receipt of the application form and if further information is required.

Garbage grinders or macerators shall not be used to dispose of solid waste from trade premises to the sewage system unless approved by Council as a conditional trade waste consent.

Fees are applicable for trade waste consent applications and a building consent will be required for new grease traps or modifications to existing ones. There will be no trade waste consent application charges for the existing customers. If the activity of the existing customer has changed, customer requires to complete and submit the application.

Visit Council's Grease Traps page to learn about the different types of grease traps available.

Fees

Trade waste by law charges will be implemented in two stages. For the year 2021/22, the charges will be based on volume. The volumetric charge is based on the amount used above the normal domestic allowance (1,000 litres/house/day, 1 m3/d, 366 m3/year), a ratio of 0.8 of water used to wastewater produced and a cost of $1.60/m3. The cost per cubic metre is based on current wastewater charges and volumes.

The Trade Waste Charge is in addition to the UAC for wastewater and volumetric charges. Charging for other wastewater factors e.g., Total Suspended Solids, Biochemical Oxygen Demand etc will be implemented in 2022/23.

Charges for 2021/22

Note:

• Volumetric charges will be invoiced Quarterly based on the water meter readings.
• Annual charges will be invoiced in the first quarter
• Excess volume = usage – 366 m3/year
• There will be no application charges for the existing customers. If the activity of the existing customer has changed, customer requires to complete and submit the application.