General Requirements

Under a Trade Waste Approval given by Queensland Urban Utilities, approval holders may discharge trade waste into the sewerage system in accordance with a Trade Waste Approval. 

Trade waste discharged to sewer must comply with every condition of the customer’s trade waste approval and every provision of the Trade Waste Environmental Management Plan (TWEMP), unless specific conditions of the trade waste approval alter the TWEMP.  

Approval holders must make all parties involved in trade waste activities aware of their obligations under the relevant trade waste approval prior to the discharge of trade waste.

Sewer Acceptance Criteria

The Sewer Acceptance Criteria are a suite of standards established to protect Queensland Urban Utilities’ sewerage system against damage, pass through and interference.  These criteria describe the maximum level of contaminants (concentration and/or mass based) allowable in a trade waste discharged to Queensland Urban Utilities’ sewerage system.

No person shall discharge trade waste into Queensland Urban Utilities’ sewerage system containing contaminants in excess of the sewer acceptance criteria, unless otherwise approved as a specific trade waste approval condition. 

Prohibited Substances and Prohibitions

No person, whether the person is an approval holder or not, shall discharge or cause to be discharged into Queensland Urban Utilities’ sewerage system prohibited substances listed in the sewer acceptance criteria.

Prohibited substances are detailed in Schedule 1 of the Water Supply (Safety and Reliability) Act 2008, and include:

• a solid or viscous substance in a quantity, or of a size, that can obstruct sewage, or interfere with the operation of sewerage
• a flammable or explosive solid, liquid or gaseous substance, including petrol
• floodwater, rainwater, roof water, seepage water, storm water, subsoil water and surface water.
• a substance, that given its quantity, is capable alone, or by interaction by another substance discharged into sewerage, of:
  • inhibiting or interfering with a sewage treatment process
  • causing damage or a hazard to sewerage
  • causing a hazard for humans or animals
  • creating a public nuisance
  • creating a hazard in waters into which it is discharged
  • contaminating the environment in places where effluent or sludge from a sewage treatment plant is discharged or reused
• a substance at a temperature of more than 38^oC

For greater detail about specific prohibited substances refer to the Sewer Acceptance Criteria.

In relation to Queensland Urban Utilities’ sewerage infrastructure, the following activities are prohibited:

• Direct connection of chemical storage areas, such as dangerous goods stores, flammable goods stores, petroleum dispensing areas and non-roofed open bunded areas into a property sewer or Queensland Urban Utilities’ sewerage infrastructure (i.e. any leaks or spillage or overflows cannot be drained by gravity or any automated means to the sewerage system).
• Direct or indirect connection of petroleum dispensing areas or flammable goods stores into a property sewer or Queensland Urban Utilities’ sewerage infrastructure.
• Dilution of trade waste discharge, as a substitute for adequate pretreatment to achieve compliance with trade waste sewer acceptance criteria or a pretreatment requirement unless the dilution is expressly authorised as a condition of a trade waste approval.
• The discharge of unprocessed regulated waste and residual waste into Queensland Urban Utilities’ sewerage infrastructure.  Such waste must be removed from the site and disposed of in accordance with the requirements of the Environmental Protection Act 1994
• The discharge of uncontaminated stormwater/surface water and roof run-off into Queensland Urban Utilities’ sewerage infrastructure.

Restricted Substances

No person, whether the person is an approval holder or not, shall discharge or cause to be discharged into Queensland Urban Utilities’ sewerage system any restricted substance at concentration or mass load greater than the relevant sewer acceptance criteria.

Any substance not listed in the sewer acceptance criteria is a restricted discharge where it meets the definition under the heading “Restricted Substances” within the Sewer Acceptance Criteria, and must not be discharged at measurable concentrations unless specifically approved by Queensland Urban Utilities.
 

Restrictions and Conditions

To enable Queensland Urban Utilities to achieve its trade waste objectives, restrictions and conditions apply in relation to the following matters: 

• storm water (and roofing requirements)
  
• health care industry waste
• disposal of domestic septic tank waste and sullage
• food waste disposal units
• discharge of wastes from vehicles and caravans
• commercial bin wash facilities
• ensuring proper chemical storage
• ensuring water conservation
• ensuring access for inspection
• ensuring the keeping and provision of records
• ensuring compliance after permanent cessation of discharge

Advising of Events and Particulars

Approval holders should promptly advise Queensland Urban Utilities of any changed customer details including:

• name, address and contact details
• nature of the occupier's trade or business
• any significant changes to the composition of approved trade waste
• any alteration or addition to the trade waste generating processes
• new trade waste generating activities on the nominated premises
• any misrepresentation or mistake in or omission of relevant facts from their trade waste approval applications.

Advice regarding the above events and particulars can been given by telephoning the Queensland Urban Utilities Customer Call Centre (13 26 57) and requesting that a trade waste officer contacts you. Alternatively you can email trade.waste@urbanutilities.com.au

Notification of Breaches of Approval

Notice of breaches or potential breaches of trade waste approval conditions must be given:

• by telephone (as soon as practically possible); and where requested
• in writing, within 7 days of the date of the breach or potential breach, setting out:
  
  • the nature of the breach or potential breach
  • an explanation of the cause of the breach or potential breach
  • trade waste effluent analysis results and/or flow measurements
  • actions that have been taken to control the non-compliant discharge
  • what action is proposed to prevent its recurrence.

A written notice given by the trade waste approval holder to Queensland Urban Utilities must be addressed to ‘Queensland Urban Utilities’ and must be signed by the trade waste approval holder or their duly authorised agent or representative.

The telephone number for providing notice of breaches or potential breaches is:
 

For Brisbane
07 3407 8414 (Brisbane Control Room)
 

For Ipswich, Lockyer Valley,Somerset or Scenic Rim
07 3810 7998 (Ipswich Control Room)

The Notice Address for Queensland Urban Utilities is:
Queensland Urban Utilities
Source Control Branch
GPO Box 2765
BRISBANE QLD 4001
(Attention: Trade Waste Coordinator)