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Trade effluent consent is a vital part of wider legislation which protects the environment. It is illegal to discharge trade effluent without consent and doing so carries the risk of prosecution and fines. A trade effluent consent does not permit discharge of potentially hazardous chemicals to the sewer – businesses must ensure waste of this nature is disposed of responsibly via a specialist waste contractor.
If your business needs trade effluent consent, the easiest way to apply is by logging in to the customer portal.
Unlike domestic sewerage, trade effluent is highly variable in terms of volume and contamination strength. It is therefore necessary to regulate this wastewater to ensure the sewerage network can adequately handle and treat the waste. This is to protect the health and safety of staff and to protect the environment.
To regulate trade effluent, businesses are provided with a licence, or discharge consent. The licence defines the nature of the allowable discharge and establishes any restrictions. Samples of the trade effluent discharge are taken regularly to ensure the customer is complying with the terms of their consent.
It is a criminal offence to discharge trade effluent waste without a consent.
Please complete the following steps to submit the application:
1. Download the form
2. Follow the guidance in Section 2 of the application form for which sections need to be completed
3. Once the relevant sections of the form are completed:
Alternatively:
4. (a) If you have an existing Customer Portal account with Castle Water, please log in to your account and then follow this link and complete the form.
(b) If you do not have an existing Customer Portal account with Castle Water please follow this link and complete the form.
By default we will advise the Wholesaler to contact yourselves via email or telephone at any time of the business day. Should you have a specific preference for contact method or time (morning/afternoon) please advise.
Please note this is a chargeable process, with fees imposed by the respective Wholesaler for the application.
Please be aware that once consent is granted there may be a further charge from the Wholesaler relating to the actual discharge. This charge will not be quantifiable until raised by the Wholesaler.
You should not begin discharging trade effluent until you have received a valid discharge licence; It is a criminal offence under the Water Industry Act 1991 to make a trade effluent discharge to the public sewer without the permission of the appropriate sewerage undertaker.
Please be aware, new applications can take up to two months for wholesalers to grant.