Trade Effluent regulations are in place to make sure that the environment, public health and treatment works are protected. Businesses need Trade Effluent consent to discharge into the sewer. You can find examples of industries producing Trade Effluent in our guide.
Application for a new consent to discharge Trade Effluent is done by filling in an effluent customer application form.
You can apply by sending a completed form directly to your sewerage wholesaler, or through us, your retailer. We have five business days to review the application and let the wholesaler know we’ve received it. We also tell them whether the form is complete and has been passed across to them, or whether it has been sent back to you for further information.
For support to help you complete your form, please use section 2 in the application form.
Once the form has been sent to the wholesaler, they have five business days to contact us (or you, if the application has been made directly) to either acknowledge receipt of the form and that it’s sufficiently complete to allow them to progress the application, or to let them know that the form is not sufficiently complete, with guidance on what further information is needed. They then have a further two months to process the application (this includes making sure there is enough capacity at the wastewater treatment works, in the sewers to avoid spills and that there’s nothing contained in the effluent that may harm people, the environment, sewerage assets and the treatment process) prior to providing you with a signed Consent. If the application is complex or if there are restricted substances contained in the effluent, they may need to refer the application to key stakeholders (e.g. the Environment Agency), which can make the process exceed the two month period.
To send your completed form, or for any further information, please email us at te@wave-utilities.co.uk.
