Trade waste

Trade waste is commercial and industrial liquid waste that is disposed of through the wastewater system.

Examples include:

• discharge from restaurants, takeaway outlets
• food processors
• metal finishers
• service stations, and
• chemical manufacturers

Wastewater from toilets or bathrooms (domestic wastewater) is not trade waste. 

Trade waste discharges put extra demands on the wastewater treatment plant. In addition, they can:

• be harmful to people as well as the environment
• corrode or block sewer pipes
• create odours

For these reasons we work with industry to rty and reduce the effects of trade waste on the environment.

In 2015 the Tasman District Council Wastewater Bylaw came into effect. It has been reviewed and update in June 2022.

• Wastewater Bylaw 2022 (pdf 635 KB)

Purpose of the bylaw

• Better define aspects relating to wastewater, especially what is an acceptable discharge to the wastewater system
• Define what is a trade waste discharge
• Provide clarification about different types of trade waste discharge
• Define what is a prohibited wastewater discharge
• Allow for a fairer way of recovering costs from the various users of the wastewater system. Currently all the costs for operating the wastewater systems are recovered through the wastewater charges in the rates bill. Some users, mainly industrial, can put a more significant load on the wastewater system than is reflected in their rates. The wastewater bylaw allows for that anomaly to be fixed.

There are four classes of wastewater discharge:

a)  Permitted (domestic or domestic equivalent wastewater)

Domestic wastewater is wastewater discharged from premises used solely for residential purposes or wastewater of similar characteristics discharged from other premises, provided in each case the characteristics of the wastewater are an acceptable discharge. Wastewater of similar characteristics is also referred to as domestic equivalent wastewater. An example of a domestic equivalent discharge could be wastewater from an office building.

b) Registered Trade Waste

Non-domestic wastewater discharge that meets all the requirements of Schedule A of the Wastewater Bylaw (2015). The Council requires the producer of these discharges to be registered so that they have an idea of the extent that the wastewater system is being utilised.

There are two types of Registered Trade Waste, they are mostly the same and differ only in the annual charge applied. The reason for this difference reflects the fact that for some businesses, Council Officers will already be at the premises conducting other Council required assessments and this reduces the overhead costs associated with administering the trade waste component.

c) Conditional Trade Waste

Non-domestic wastewater discharge that fails to comply with at least one requirement of Schedule A of the Wastewater Bylaw (2015). This wastewater is accepted for discharge into the wastewater system under a trade waste permit. For example, if the discharge totals more than 5 m³/day, this exceeds the flow requirement of Schedule A. To be able to discharge to the wastewater system the discharger will need to apply for, and be granted, a trade waste permit, which lists the all the revised discharge conditions.

d) Prohibited (no discharge allowed)

All businesses that produce liquid trade waste and discharge to the wastewater system must apply for an approval to discharge.

Note: the examples below are indications only. The final class will be determined in the approval process.

Examples of Registered discharges

• Veterinarians, pet shops, dog groomer, boarding kennels & catteries
• Butchers
• Carpet cleaners
• Dental surgery/technician
• Florist
• Fruit and vegetable greengrocers (retail)
• Funeral services without embalming facilities
• Hairdresser/barber/beautician
• Doctors and medical centres (without surgical facilities), chemists/pharmacists, optical processes
• Restaurants, hotels, bakeries, café’s, takeaway outlets
• Laundry/dry cleaner
• Schools, polytechnics
• Workshops – engineering, mechanical, automotive
• X-ray (<10 standard x-ray films a day eg small professional customers, chiropractors, veterinary clinics, dentists, GPs)

Examples of Conditional dischargers

• Breweries, wineries
• Concrete batching plants
• Dairy products processing
• Hazardous materials (manufacture of, storage, transport, use)
• Health services including hospitals and day care surgical facilities (e.g. doctors surgeries/medical centres), medical laboratories, and vaccine manufacturers
• Heavy vehicle/truck wash/equipment and container recycling/washing facilities
• Manufacturers of chemicals (including those with petroleum, coal, rubber, and plastic products laboratories)
• Manufacturing of clay, glass, plaster, masonry, asbestos, and mineral products
• Manufacturing, fabrication or surface coating of metal products, machinery, or equipment including electroplaters, foundries, galvanisers, and metal finishers
• Manufacturing or warehousing of fertiliser or soil amendment products
• Mortuaries, funeral parlours with embalming facilities
• Printers, including screen printers and film/photo processors
• Scientific and other laboratories
• Stock sale yards
• Timber treatment plants
• Textile fibre and textile processing
• Waste management processors and waste treatment facilities

Forms

• Trade Waste Discharge Application Form (pdf 291 KB) 
• Application Form - Trade Waste Cessation.pdf (pdf 73 KB) Use this form when stopping approved discharge, charges will continue until the Council is advised.

Flowchart

We've put together a flowchart to help you during the application process, and a worksheet to provide an indication of costs.

• Wastewater Bylaw Flowchart (pdf 55 KB)