Remaining Compliant in the Central Coast Council

The Central Coast Council is an amalgamation of what was formerly known as the Wyong Local Government Area and the Gosford Local Government Area. It is situated on the coast of New South Wales. The geographical boundary stretches from its southern boundary 60 to 90 km north of Sydney to its northern boundary about 80 km south of Newcastle. Central Coast is home to 342,000 people making it the sixth largest urban area in Australia. Population growth forecasts predict a 23% rise in numbers to 415,000 by 2036.

CCC supplies 80 million litres of drinking water to the Central Coast region, using three dams, three water treatment plants, over 50 reservoirs and more than 2,200 km of piping. In terms of trade waste, the amalgamation of the two local government areas is still in progress. Trade Waste Agreements and requirements with each individual council remain in force until the new CCC standards become available in July 2019. Based on the history of the two council areas, the following article provides general trade waste guidelines for CCC.

Key trade waste limits for CCC

Central Coast Council has published acceptance limits for liquid trade waste released into the sewage network. These limits are set based on council worker safety as well as protection of sewage treatment plants. Excursions in trade waste quality can impact sewage treatment plant performance leading to a major environmental incident. The table below summarises some key trade waste limits set by CCC.

Types of trade waste water agreements at CCC

Some commercial activities have been excluded by CCC from needing a trade waste agreement. These include beauticians, bed and breakfasts for less than 10 persons, some childcare facilities. Some of these activities require sink strainers to qualify for the exemption. Contact CCC for more information about their exclusion policy.

CCC has a risk classification process, which must be completed for a trade waste agreement to be approved. Risk classification can be summarised as follows:

• Classification A is a low risk liquid trade waste. This could be assigned due to the volume, quality or both. No pre-treatment or standard pre-treatment equipment is required.
• Classification B is a medium risk trade waste associated with activities like commercial retail, education and hospitals. Acceptance limits must be met and excluded substances may not be present in the trade waste stream.
• Classification C is the highest risk trade waste. It is assigned based on volume of waste or quality of trade waste generated by the commercial or industrial activity.
• Classification S is for septic tank pump-outs or ship to shore pump-outs to the sewage system.

In addition to the risk classification, CCC also assigns a trade waste charging category. While there is a relationship between the risk classification and trade waste charging category, there is also some overlap in the lower categories. CCC describes their categories in the following terms:

• Category 1 - dischargers with no or minimal pre-treatment
• Category 2 - dischargers with prescribed pre-treatment
• Category 3 - large and industrial dischargers
• Category S - Septic tank, pan or ship to shore

CCC trade waste application process

It is advisable to contact a Trade Waste Officer of the CCC to discuss a new trade waste agreement application before beginning the process. This will ensure an efficient process and clarity about the requirement for your particular application.

Once you have obtained the officer’s advice, lodge an application by filling in the online forms. The CCC will approve or reject the application based on their policy document available on their website. An approval letter from the CCC will include all requirements for the discharger. Permitted flow rates including times of day, acceptance limits and pre-treatment requirements will all be specified in the trade waste agreement approval.

Cleanawater solutions for CCC trade waste

Two of the main pre-treatment solutions required by CCC are oil water separators and pH control. Cleanawater supplies a range of solutions for both these requirements. Our technology has been proven through numerous installations accross Australia.

Cleanawater can help you apply for a CCC Trade Waste Agreement. We have more than 20-years experience in wastewater treatment in the Australian context.

Find out more at Cleanawater or call our expert team on 1800 353 788 today to arrange a consultation for your trade wastewater needs.