Once your Trade Waste Agreement is in place, it’s important that:

• you maintain equipment as per your Trade Waste Agreement, and
• you let us know of any changes to your business activities.

Yarra Valley Water undertakes random inspections to confirm that food businesses have a Trade Waste Agreement and that they are complying with the requirements. 

These inspections may include inspection of the grease trap and requests to provide receipts to prove the cleaning of the grease trap - so make sure you keep your receipts.

A change or increase in activities may require a larger grease trap or an increase in pump-out frequency.

If your business undergoes any renovations, please contact us to discuss the impact this may have on your trade waste requirements. If an upgrade in grease trap is required, it can be much easier and cheaper to do this during renovations.

Your Trade Waste Agreement will be renewed every 10 years. Prior to your expiry date you will receive an application form to complete and return to us. 

This process allows us to reassess your activities and confirm that you have the appropriate equipment and maintenance frequency in place. 

You are required to contact Yarra Valley Water to advise us when you have sold or closed your business.

Charges will continue until you have notified us and you will be liable for any ongoing charges.

To end your agreement or for assistance contact us on 1300 771 865 or email [email protected].

Application forms are available below in other languages as PDF downloads.

Submit your complete application form to [email protected] or contact our Trade Waste department on 1300 771 865.

• Food Business Trade Waste Application Form - Cantonese
• Food Business Trade Waste Application Form - Arabic
• Food Business Trade Waste Application Form - Mandarin
• Food Business Trade Waste Application Form - Greek
• Food Business Trade Waste Application Form - Hindi
• Food Business Trade Waste Application Form - Italian
• Food Business Trade Waste Application Form - Punjabi
• Food Business Trade Waste Application Form - Sinhalese
• Food Business Trade Waste Application Form - Turkish
• Food Business Trade Waste Application Form - Vietnamese

In addition to your completed Trade Waste application form, please ensure you attach proof of a grease trap to avoid further fees and charges.

If more space is required for your Trade waste volumes, please use the document below.

 Trade waste volumes table (PDF, 84 KB)

In addition to your completed Trade Waste Application form, you must include:

1. A site plan with details and location of all fixtures, tanks, pit and treatment apparatus with the generation and treatment of trade waste, site boundaries, north point, address & a legend showing fixture numbers, description of fixtures and treatment apparatus including the capacity in litres.
2. A flow diagram / treatment apparatus schematic clearly labelling the treatment apparatus (and its capacity in litres), dimensions, sample points & discharge points.
3. The treatment apparatus drawing(s).
4. Treatment apparatus specifications sheets.
5. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for any chemicals used in your processes that may enter the sewer.  MSDS' cannot be more than 5 years old.

To apply, make sure you have all of the items listed below and submit a complete application form to [email protected] 

Trade Waste industrial Business Application Form (PDF, 188 KB)

If more space is required for your Trade waste volumes, please use the document below.  

 Trade waste volumes table (PDF, 84 KB)

If your business generates wastewater from industrial or manufacturing processes, you'll need an industrial trade waste agreement.

Examples of these business types include:

• food manufacturers
• metal finishers
• car washes
• printers
• laundries
• hospitals
• chemical plants/manufacturers.

Businesses who have a Trade Waste agreement need to have the appropriate treatment equipment installed at all times.

You'll need to maintain your business’s treatment equipment as per the manufacturer's requirements and the conditions stated in your trade waste agreement with Yarra Valley Water.

Your business is required to keep any cleaning, maintenance and pump out certificates or receipts and provide these to Yarra Valley Water upon request or during an inspection.

A change or increase in activities may require a larger grease trap or an increase in pump-out frequency.

If your business undergoes any renovations, please contact us to discuss the impact this may have on your trade waste requirements. 

Every agreement has an expiry date and needs to be renewed. Your expiry date will be specified in your Trade Waste Agreement. Prior to this date you will receive an application form to complete and return to us. 

This process allows us to reassess your activities and confirm that you have the appropriate equipment and maintenance frequency in place. 

You are required to contact the Trade Waste team to advise us when you have sold or closed your business.

Charges will continue until you have notified us and you will be liable for any ongoing charges.

To end your agreement or for assistance contact us on 1300 771 865 or email [email protected].

All applications must include:

1. A fully completed Trade Waste Application form.
2. A site plan identifying the sewer access point, treatment apparatus location, pump sump, sample points, flow meter and discharge points.
3. A process and trade waste treatment apparatus drawing which shows the capacity (in litres), pump location, sample point location and flow meter location.
4. Pump specifications including maximum pump speed, pump curve and head height from sump to apparatus inlet.
5. Geotechnical report.
6. A groundwater sample analysis (if your application is to discharge groundwater), as per the requirements outlined in the groundwater and/or stormwater discharge fact sheet.
7. Confirmation you’ve submitted a plumbing application to connect any treatment apparatus to the sewerage system.
8. A declaration of how the property will manage groundwater and/or stormwater discharge post construction (must provide supporting evidence).

To apply, make sure you have all of the items listed below and submit a complete application form to [email protected] 

Construction trade waste application (PDF, 209KB)

Please note incomplete applications may be delayed or returned requesting additional information.

We’ll respond to your application within 10 business days.

If we require further information or changes to your application, we’ll contact you.

If we approve your application to discharge groundwater and/or stormwater during construction, we’ll also conduct a site inspection before you can start discharging from your site.

If you have any questions about the application process or requirements or need support you can contact our Commercial Customer Care team by emailing [email protected] or calling 1300 771 865.

This fee is charged on application and renewal and applies to all customers.

New trade waste customers, and existing customers who are required to renew their agreement, pay an application fee that contributes to the cost of assessing the impact of the trade waste discharge on the sewerage transfer and treatment systems.

A pro rata amount is billed quarterly and is applicable to all customers.

All trade waste customers pay an annual fee to cover the operational costs incurred in the regulation, maintenance and consultation of trade waste customers.

These fees are pro-rata and charged quarterly. Customers are subject to a stepped fee based on their risk ranking, with highest risk customers paying the highest fees. Most food businesses attract the lowest risk fees.

A pro rata amount is billed quarterly if is applies to your business.

A condition of discharging trade waste for certain customers is an appropriate pre-treatment device installed in accordance with Yarra Valley Water requirements.

The asset protection charge covers the additional cost incurred by Yarra Valley Water due to uncontrolled discharge flows into our sewerage system. This charge will persist until the installation of the appropriate pre-treatment has been confirmed or otherwise consented to by Yarra Valley Water.

A pro rata amount is billed quarterly if it applies to the property.

Disused trade waste treatment equipment is a potential risk to Yarra Valley Water assets, systems and people if left unattended.

Currently we permit property owners to retain unused trade waste treatment systems rather than disconnect them from the sewerage system upon payment of a retention of apparatus fee.

A non-compliance process is implemented in instances where trade waste dischargers do not comply with their legal requirements either under the relevant legislation (Water Act 1989 and Water Industry Regulations 2006) or the requirements contained within their Trade Waste Agreement.

Yarra Valley Water charges the non-compliant customer a fee to cover our costs in negotiating and managing the non-compliance.  

Please contact the Trade Waste team to discuss your business risk ranking on
1300 771 865, Monday to Friday between 8:30 am and 5 pm.

New trade waste customers, and existing customers wishing to renew their agreement, pay an application fee. This contributes to the cost of assessing the impact of the trade waste discharge on the sewerage transfer and treatment systems.

The application fee is based on your risk ranking.

The application fees for Trade Waste Agreements in 2025-26 are as follows:

All trade waste customers pay an annual fee to cover the operational costs incurred in the regulation, maintenance and consultation of trade waste customers. Customers are subject to a stepped fee based on their risk ranking, with highest risk customers paying the highest fees.

The Trade Waste contract fees for 2025-26 are as follows:

A non-compliance process is implemented in instances where trade waste dischargers do not comply with their legal requirements either under the relevant legislation (Water Act 1989 and Water (Trade Waste) Regulations 2014) or the requirements contained within their trade waste agreement or consent.

This may range from (but not be limited to) sample non-compliance, where the trade waste discharge is adjudged not to comply with the conditions stipulated in the agreement or consent, to a customer not providing meter readings, sample results or maintenance or calibration certificates at the required frequency.

Yarra Valley Water will charge the non-compliant customer a fee to cover our costs in negotiating and managing the non-compliance.

Discharge fees cover the cost of treating the discharge and depend on the volume of trade waste (measured in kilolitres) and the mass of the pollutants contained within the waste (measured in kilograms).

Category B Trade Waste Customers are not subject to discharge fees.

The Trade Waste discharge fees for 2025-26 are as follows: