Liquid trade waste
What is liquid trade waste (LTW)?
Liquid trade waste is a liquid waste produced by a business, commercial or industrial activity discharged to a sewerage system.
It excludes domestic waste from a hand washbasin, shower, bath or toilet. It also excludes stormwater and unpolluted water. LTW includes liquids from:
- industrial premises
- business or commercial premises such as a café, hotel, motel, restaurant, butcher or supermarket
- community/public premises such as schools, colleges, universities, hospitals and nursing homes
- trade activities such as a mechanical workshop
- any commercial activities carried out at a residential premises
- saleyards and racecourses
- septic tank waste, chemical toilet waste, waste from marine pump-out facilities and establishing sites for the discharge of pan content from mobile homes and caravans to the sewerage system.
While septic tanks, pan and ship-to-shore pump-out wastes are defined as trade waste, specific procedures need to be applied to their management as the waste is often transported from its source to the sewerage system.
Classification and categories
Liquid trade waste discharges are divided into four risk or volume related classifications. Council’s approval process varies depending on the type of classification. See Liquid Trade Waste Classifications and Categories fact sheet for further information.
Things you should know
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The Director – Water and Sewerage Regulation, NSW Department of Industry Water has granted consented for some commercial activities from the requirement to apply for liquid trade waste approval. The businesses identified in this category must still meet the standard requirements identified in the exemption list.
See more about Liquid Trade Waste Exemptions.
What is your responsibility as a local business or property owner?
If you are discharging LTW into the Council sewerage system, you need to complete a Liquid Trade Waste Application to obtain approval. Either the owner of the premises or the tenant who carries out an activity on the premises may apply for approval. The tenant must have the property owner’s written consent in order to apply for approval. A discharger is responsible to pre-treat liquid waste to a level acceptable for discharge to the sewer. To assist applicants, Council can provide fact sheets on the type of business and pre-treatment needed for various LTW generating activities.
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All LTW fees and charges applied by Council are mandated by Council’s pricing regulator IPART.
As LTW is only a component of the sewage discharged from your property please note that the fees and charges applicable to LTW are in addition to the non-residential sewerage service and usage charges applying to the property.
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Discharge of liquid trade waste to the sewerage system is managed by Council in accordance with the Department of Industry – Water Liquid Trade Waste Regulation Guidelines.
Council officers should be contacted and are available to discuss the application submission process on (02) 4306 7900 or via email on ltw@centralcoast.nsw.gov.au
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Council officers should be contacted and are available to discuss the application submission process on (02) 4306 7900 or via email ltw@centralcoast.nsw.gov.au
- Application to cancel Liquid Trade Waste approval
- Application for septic tank, pan and ship-to-shore pump out waste
- Liquid Trade Waste: Application and approval procedures
- Liquid Trade Waste: Category 1 Classification A - Commercial retail food outlet with No greasy oily wastes generated
- Liquid Trade Waste: Category 1 Classification A - Other - Examples Animal Wash, commercial pools, dental digital x-rays and funeral operations
- Liquid Trade Waste: Category 1 Classification B - Other - Examples Laundries, Schools and Laboratories
- Liquid Trade Waste: Category 2 Classification A - Commercial Retail Food outlets generating greasy, oily wastes
- Liquid Trade Waste: Category 2 Classification B - Other - Examples Butcher (wholesale), Micro Brewery, Oyster processing, Shopping centre, etc.
- Liquid Trade Waste: Category 2 Classification B - Motor trades Category 2 Classification B
- Liquid Trade Waste: Category 3 Classification C - Large or industrial dischargers
Fact sheets
- Liquid Trade Waste: Acceptance Limits and Prohibited Substances 179 KB
- Liquid Trade Waste: Boiler Blowdown or Cooling Towers 121 KB
- Liquid Trade Waste: Due Diligence Programs and Contingency Plans 120 KB
- Liquid Trade Waste: Effects of Untreated Trade Waste on the Sewerage System 116 KB
- Liquid Trade Waste: Laboratory 161 KB
- Liquid Trade Waste: Classifications and Categories 213 KB
- Liquid Trade Waste: Monitoring and Sampling 115 KB
- Liquid Trade Waste: Purpose 149 KB
- Liquid Trade Waste: Sewer and Liquid Trade Waste Discharge Factors 162 KB
- Liquid Trade Waste: Stormwater Discharge from Open Areas and First Flush 121 KB
- Liquid Trade Waste: Swimming Pool, Spa, Hydrotherapy 99 KB