Recently updated pages

Close

Summary of changes and anticipated customer impact

Trade Waste customers are grouped into categories based on the type and scale of their discharge:

  • Category A: Small dischargers such as takeaway shops, cafés, and hairdressers.
  • Category B: Medium dischargers such as car washes and swimming pools.
  • Category C: Large or higher-risk dischargers such as hospitals, hotels, and food manufacturing.

These categories help determine the approval, monitoring, and compliance requirements applied under the Trade Waste Code.

Proposed changes – Summary

Section Explanation of proposed change Impact to customer Customer type(s)
Foreword Inserting a review frequency table committing to reviewing and updating the Code once every 5 years. Nil. None
Definitions Adding additional terms into the definition table. Nil. None
Trade waste customer management diagram Removal of unsuitable diagram. Nil. None
6 Prohibited substances New section - Advising that Power and Water does not accept PFOA (perfluoroalkyl) or PFOS (polyfluoroalkyl) contaminated waste to sewer. Yes - Category A, B and C. Customers are not able to discharge PFOA or PFOS contaminated wastewater to sewer. Category A, B, C
7 Customer categories In determining a customer’s ‘category’, the current code assesses compliance via sampling, laboratory analysis and verification with discharge guidelines. Best practice is to consider all relevant conditions. The proposed changes simplify determining compliance and the resulting customer ’category’.
  • If a customer does not install or maintain pre-treatment equipment as per their approval, then they could be advised of being non-compliant. Power and Water can determine if the customer is non-compliant and work with them to achieve compliance.
  • Non-compliance may result in the reclassification of a customer to Category C.
  • Reclassified category C customers may be required to pay fees and charges until compliance is established.
 Yes – Category A and B Category A, B
7.1 Category of customer type – Deemed customers Including a new category for low risk, low volume customers. This creates efficiency within the Trade Waste Management System for customers who do not warrant the additional administration and oversight and are “deemed” to satisfy (comply) with trade waste requirements.
  • Low-risk, low-volume trade waste dischargers will no longer be required to hold an 8-year approval and be subject to administrative oversight or applicable fees and charges.
  • Determination of a ‘Deemed Customer’ will occur at the time of application. ‘Deemed Customers’ will be issued with a simple one-page trade waste approval until business practices trigger re-assessment.
  • Aligns with other water utilities categorisation.
 Yes – Category A. Category A, Deemed
7.5 Reclassification of non-compliant trade waste customers New section - A customer’s category is determined by a formula that incorporates volume, risk rank and compliance.

This proposed new section includes failure to install or maintain pre-treatment and comply with conditions of their approval as a non-compliance.

This will result in the re-classification of customers to ‘Category C’ until compliance can be re-established.

  • This will impact Category A and B customers who do not have appropriate pre-treatment installed, do not maintain pre-treatment equipment or comply with the conditions of their approval as they will be reclassified as Category C customers.
  • Encourages compliance with ensuring customer maintains pre-treatment equipment as per the customers discharge approval requirements, also to provide fairness across businesses who are doing the right thing.
  • Provides Power and Water the ability to reclassify non-compliant Category A and B customers to Category C, and apply applicable fees and charges until compliance can be re-established.
 Yes - Category A and B. Category A, B
8.1 Additional form of approval type New section - Adding a new approval type, in the form of a written consent for Deemed Customers.
  • Streamline approval process for customers who discharge trade waste of low volume and low risk.
  • Issue a simple ‘Deemed Customer’ approval until business practices change.
 Yes – Category A. Category A, Deemed
8.2 Trade waste discharge approvals To simplify and incorporate all approval types combine 8.2: Trade Waste Discharge Permit and 8.3: Trade Waste Agreement, to become 8.2: Trade Waste Discharge Approvals, and 8.3 Term of Approval.
  • Where applicable, Category A customers may become Deemed Customers.
    Make approval types clearer for customers.
 Yes – Category A. Category A
8.4 Application for approval Inserting a URL link to a digital application form linked to Service Tracker, a Northern Territory Government online portal to assist small businesses with streamlining and tracking the application process.
  • Improvement made for our customers making the application form available in an online format.
 Yes - Category A, B and C. Category A, B, C
9.1 Discharge likely to require pre-treatment Updating business types that are more relevant and better relate to customers.
  • Improvement made to provide better examples of business types that are more relatable to our customers.
 Nil. None
9.3 Pre-treatment equipment notification system New section - Adding information about a system Power and Water introduced in 2020 to manage trade waste equipment servicing using QR technology and automated customer notifications.
  • Empowers the customer to be notified directly when their pre-treatment equipment has been serviced.
  • Automatic notification to the customer when their pre-treatment device is overdue for servicing.
  • Allows the customer's bulk waste contractor to take photos of pre-treatment equipment and report any issues directly to the customer.
 Yes - Category A, B and C. Category A, B, C
9.4 Prohibited plumbing fixtures for trade waste use New section - Due to reported issues with customers internal plumbing and frequent blockages within the sewer network, Power and Water propose to prohibit selected plumbing fixtures from trade waste connections to reduce impact on a customers’ internal drainage and Power and Water’s sewer network.
  • The proposed listed equipment would be prohibited for installation in connection with trade waste.
  • The change will benefit customers by reducing internal drainage issues.
  • Prohibited plumbing fixtures includes, automatic fruit and vegetable peelers, macerators, food waste disposal units and under sink grease guardians where there is no downstream treatment.
 Yes – Category A, B and C. Category A, B, C
10.1 – 10.2 Trade waste measurement; Flow volume This will lower the amount of annual trade waste discharge volume where a flow meter is required, from 7300kL/year to greater than 1460kL. This change will align with customer category volumes, approval types and industry expectations for measuring billable trade waste discharge.
  • Trade waste customers who discharge less than 1460kL per annum are typically Category A customers who are not required to install a flow meter.
  • Trade waste customers who discharge greater than 1460kL are typically Category B and C customers where their approval already contains this condition as may be required to install a flow meter where applicable. Many large trade waste customers are installing flow meters or already have installed to accurately measure discharge volume for billing purposes.
  • This change would align with best practise industry expectations.
 Yes – Category C Category C
10.3 Trade waste measurement; Flow measurement Amending a poorly worded obligation on customers, to provide Power and Water with their volumetric discharge reading within 14 days before the end of the month. Rewording changes this obligation to within five working days the following month.
  • Improvement for Category C customers to meet reporting requirements of their agreement.
  • Current wording requires customers to supply their monthly readings within fourteen days of the end of the month. This is unachievable as a full month of volume is required to be reported.
  • Category C customers have five working days within the following month to provide their volumetric volumes to Power and Water for billing purposes and aligns with the Trade Waste Agreement.
 Yes – Category B and C. Category B, C
10.4 Trade waste chargeable characteristics concentration Simplifying the formula to better show how trade waste charges and quality fees are calculated.
  • Equation has been updated for customers for simplicity. Trade Waste charges are set within a Trade Waste Pricing Order under the Water Supply and Sewerage Services Act.
 Nil. None
11 Perceived trade waste discharge risk – Risk rank Trade Waste Risk Rank (RR) is based upon the following factors: Volume (V), business Activity (A), Location of the discharge (L), the discharge substance (S), compliance History of the customer (H) and the Class (C) (business type). Therefore RR = V+A+L+S+H+C.

Propose amending the meaning of compliance History (H factor in RR above) to include conditions of approval, such as the installation and maintenance of pre-treatment equipment instead of only sampling history.

Additional activity and class examples are also proposed to relate better to customers.

  • Category A and B customers does not determine a customer’s compliance; compliance is driven from the installation of appropriate pre-treatment and the customer ensuring their pre-treatment equipment is maintained and is in a working order to pre-treat their waste prior to discharge.
  • Compliance would include all conditions of the approval, e.g. to install and maintain pre-treatment equipment. Therefore, if a customer is not meeting their conditions of approval, they would be considered non-compliant. This would result in a change to the risk rank and consequently the customers category as described in 7 and 7.5.
  • If a Category A or B customer is determined non-compliant, they may be reclassified as a Category C customer and required to pay fees and charges until compliance can be re-established.
Risk Rank score table – Approval Term column

This update adds “up to” within the approval term column allowing Power and Water to issue shorter terms of approval. Shorter terms are expected to be used by Power and Water when issuing extensions to current approvals, providing more time to complete more complex approvals for Category B and C customers.

  • This change would benefit Category B and C customers who are in the process of renewing an approval.
  • Power and Water will have the ability to issue an extension of the existing approval until a new approval can be issued.
  • Adding “up to” provides flexibility to Power and Water to issue and extension with a shorter term than would be issued with a new approval.
 Yes – Category A and B. Category A, B
15 Non-compliance events Adding 'events' to the title of this section to provide greater clarity. This section heading currently causes confusion between being a non-compliant customer to having a non-compliant event.
  • Edit to the title of the section to provide clarity on a non-compliant one-off event (major or minor) and a non-compliant customer.
 Nil. None
15.3 Non-compliance for failure to install or maintain equipment New section - The current code only addresses non-compliant events. To align with trade waste approvals the proposed change will include non-compliance for failing to install or maintain pre-treatment equipment.
  • Within a customer’s approval, it advises the need to either install or maintain pre-treatment equipment. The proposed change will ensure minimum impact sewer, protect Power and Waters’ network and provide clarity to the customer on conditions required to comply with their approval.
  • Encourages compliance with ensuring customer installs and maintains pre-treatment equipment as per the customers discharge approval requirements. This aligns with new section 7.5 on re-classification of non-compliant customers.
 Yes – Category A and B. Category A, B
Appendix B Trade waste discharge factor Since publishing the Code in 2017, some discharge factors have been reviewed and updated nationally. Power and Water proposes to update and align these factors using collective industry experience that is adopted by utilities across Australia.
  • Currently only Category C customers pay fees and charges.
  • Industry factors that may be applied when determining the volume of trade waste discharge and calculating fees and charges. Factors are negotiated directly with customer, before a pricing letter is issued. Customer may at any time, as part of their approval, request a re-assessment of this factor.
 Yes – Category C. Category C

Page last updated 20 October 2025