Council’s new Backflow Prevention & Liquid Trade Waste Officer is visiting businesses across the Snowy Monaro to talk about liquid trade waste (LTW) in our region, and how we can work together to help businesses meet their regulatory obligations.
Any business that generates liquid waste is required under NSW legislation to obtain an LTW approval from Council.
These approvals set out what sorts of pre-treatment equipment a business needs to have in place to deal with their liquid trade waste. Council works collaboratively with businesses to determine what’s needed, and provide businesses with the knowledge and information required to implement and maintain their LTW systems.
If dumped directly into the wastewater network, liquid trade waste causes significant problems. Clearing blockages, repairing damage, and separating contaminants from inflows to sewage treatment plants costs a significant amount of time and money.
These costs are borne by ratepayers, so Council has a responsibility to do everything we can to help businesses do the right thing.
Not all businesses in the Snowy Monaro that require LTW approvals currently have them in place. Council has been working with businesses across the region, seeing that everyone that needs an LTW approval is supported in making arrangements to obtain their approval.
This will make things fairer for every business.
Council’s intention with this initiative is to help the business community understand and comply with liquid trade waste requirements. If problems arise, Council will work with the affected business to help get them back to where they need to be.
Once this initial education and assistance campaign has concluded, formal enforcement will be a last resort option for businesses who refuse to do the right thing. These actions protect our wastewater infrastructure, the environment, our community, and recover the costs paid by ratepayers for damage caused through non-compliance.
Our Backflow Prevention & Liquid Trade Waste Officer will be visiting every business in our region that has, or needs, an LTW approval.
