Sydney Water trade waste agreement, plain English

What a trade waste agreement actually is

The Sydney Water trade waste agreement is the legal document that lets your commercial kitchen discharge cooking waste into the sewer. It names the venue, lists the pre-treatment equipment you have, sets your pump-out frequency, and spells out the obligations Sydney Water expects you to meet. Every venue with a grease trap needs one, current and on file.

Practically, the agreement is two or three pages of conditions plus an appendix of fixture units. The frequency is the line you live by. The rest only matters when something goes wrong.

How Sydney Water sets your pump-out frequency

Sydney Water assesses two things to set frequency. First, your trap size relative to your discharge volume. Smaller trap on bigger volume means tighter interval. Second, the fat, oil and grease load your menu generates. Fryer-heavy or high-cover kitchens get tighter intervals than coffee-and-pastry cafes.

Most Sydney venues land between monthly and quarterly. The interval can be varied later if you can show your trap is consistently under the 25 per cent fill mark, or tightened if it overflows.

Background on the underlying logic: how often should a trap be cleaned.

What the charges on your bill mean

There are three categories worth understanding:

• Annual trade waste fee. A fixed annual charge based on your discharge category. Most cafes and small restaurants sit in the lower bands.
• Volume-based charges. Sydney Water meters or estimates how much trade waste you discharge and bills per kilolitre. This is the biggest variable cost and it rewards keeping the trap clean and the discharge in spec.
• Excess-discharge charges. If your fat, oil and grease numbers come back over the limit, Sydney Water applies an excess charge per kilolitre. The fix is more frequent pump-outs, not arguing the bill.

The parts venue owners commonly overlook

• The pump-out is logged automatically. Every clean done by a licensed transporter shows up against your account through Wastesafe. There is no paper certificate Sydney Water needs you to send in. Skip a clean and the gap shows up on its own.
• You stay liable for the discharge. If your contractor cuts a corner, Sydney Water comes back to the venue, not the truck. Picking a licensed contractor is the simplest hedge.
• You can ask for a frequency review. If you have been consistently under the 25 per cent fill mark at every pump-out for 12 months, you can request a longer interval. Cost saving is meaningful at the cafe end.
• You can transfer the agreement. When you sell the venue or take it over, the trade waste agreement transfers with it after a short administrative step. Get this confirmed in writing during the sale.

Frequently asked

Do I need a Sydney Water trade waste agreement?

Yes, if you run a commercial kitchen anywhere serviced by Sydney Water you need a current trade waste agreement before you start discharging. The agreement covers your grease trap, any other pre-treatment, and the schedule for keeping it serviced.

How long does it take to get a trade waste agreement?

Most straightforward applications are approved in 4 to 8 weeks. Complex sites or upgraded discharges can take longer. Sydney Water assesses your fixture units, projected flow and the fat, oil and grease load you generate.

How much does a Sydney Water trade waste agreement cost?

There is an application fee plus an annual fee that scales with discharge volume. The bigger annual cost is usage-based: your trade waste charges on every bill reflect what you actually discharge. Pumping out on schedule keeps the discharge limits in spec and the charges predictable.

What happens if I do not have an agreement?

Discharging without an approval is an offence under section 626 of the NSW Local Government Act 1993 with fines up to $11,000. Sydney Water also has powers to disconnect your trade waste discharge until the agreement is in place.