We recognise the significant financial impact that COVID-19 has had on many businesses, and we're here to help.

We are assisting some businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic by waiving a portion of our trade waste charges for the April to June quarter.

All customers that pay a minimum trade waste charge will have this component of their bill waived for April to June and a rebate of around $100 will be applied automatically to their account after July 1. 

We're doing this because it will help many businesses impacted by closure or reduced trade as a result of COVID-19, particularly smaller businesses including cafes and restaurants.

These customers will still pay for trade waste charges for any usage above the minimum volume.

 

Relaxation of Grease Arrestor Service Frequency (COVID-19)

Suspended or ceased operations

Urban Utilities consents to immediately waive all grease trap servicing requirements (conditions) for businesses that have suspended or ceased operations. You will need to contact your waste management company to arrange to have your grease trap servicing suspended.

For protection against odour and corrosion, Urban Utilities strongly recommends unused grease arrestors be pumped out and partially filled with water for the duration of your suspended trade.

Businesses trading at a reduced capacity

If your business is still trading but at reduced capacity, you may apply for a relaxation of grease arrestor service frequency.

Note: For relaxation to apply, you will need to meet the following criteria.

  1. Your pump-out frequency must be greater than once per 13 weeks (i.e. service interval <13 weeks).
  2. Your business must be trading at a reduced level, which you will be required to attest to (Urban Utilities may review water usage to confirm).

If your business recommences normal trade, normal grease arrestor servicing will be required. For practical reasons, Urban Utilities cannot approve extension of service periods beyond 13 weeks.

Please be assured that Urban Utilities is concerned about our valued customers and we will continue to work with you through these unprecedented times.

Apply for relaxation of service frequency

What is trade waste?

Trade waste is waterborne waste (other than waste that is a prohibited substance, human waste or stormwater) from 
  • food service businesses
  • commercial, manufacturing, trade or industrial premises
  • commercial refrigeration, air conditioning or boiler operation 
  • ships 

Before your business discharges trade waste into our sewers, the owner of the property where the waste water is generated must have a Trade Waste Approval. 

Why do we manage trade waste?

It’s important to manage trade waste as it may contain substances that cause blockages or damage to our sewerage system or the environment.

We manage trade waste to protect:

  • the safety of personnel working in and around our sewerage system
  • sewerage infrastructure from degradation and damage
  • treatment processes from adverse impacts 
  • the environment and waterways that receive treated wastewater
  • downstream recycling of water and reuse of bio solids. 

To recover the cost of managing the additional load trade waste imposes on the sewerage system, trade waste charges apply.

What are trade waste categories?

Trade waste approval are categorised according to the main trade waste business type at the property.  These categories link similar business types to equitable charges and relevant methods for measuring or estimating volume and strength of discharges, as follows:

Category A
Business type
 Minor food service or hospitality activities; care facilities with high residential character; premises with low volume and difficult to measure trade waste discharges or no water meter.
Wastewater description
 Minor discharge volume difficult to measure but assumed to be less than 65kL/quarter. Deemed domestic strength.
Category B
Business type
 Small to medium traders; mechanical and motor vehicle workshops; commercial laundries and other businesses with similar characteristics.
Wastewater description
 Deemed domestic strength. Volume usually indirectly calculated from water usage.
Category C
Business type
 Cooling tower discharges; boiler wastewater; refrigeration condensate; low impact manufacturing; metal finishers and other businesses with low strength discharges.
Wastewater description
 Deemed less than half domestic strength. Volume usually indirectly calculated from water usage (may be metered).
Category D
Business type
 Brewery; cannery; abattoir; food and chemical processor; significant manufacturing or industrial activity and other businesses with similar characteristics.
Wastewater description
 Large trader with volume greater than10kL/day or strength greater than 20kg/day BOD5. Trade waste quality fully assessed by routine sampling and chemical testing. Volume directly measured using effluent flow meter.
Category E
Business type
 Café; restaurant; takeaway; hospitality and catering; pubs; taverns; bars and clubs; food or beverage businesses.
Wastewater description
 Assumed or measured greater than double domestic strength for BOD5.  Volume usually indirectly calculated from water usage.

See our list of typical trade waste categorisations for more information.


Related documents


Contact us

Call our Trade Waste team on 07 3432 2160 (8:30 am - 4:15 pm weekdays), email trade.waste@urbanutilities.com.au, or contact us via our