All trade effluent licenced customers

Trade effluent is wastewater generated by a business or industrial activity. Trade effluent Wastewater has different characteristics from non-domestic wastewater (i.e. sanitary wastewater from toilets, sinks, showers, etc).

Trade effluent may contain additional or higher levels of pollutants that are more difficult and costly to treat. It is produced from processes or activities undertaken at premises carrying out a trade or industrial process (e.g. washdowns, process waste streams, etc.). Discharges to sewer are regulated by licenses issued by Uisce Éireann. The type and scale of the activity determine which body is responsible for licensing the trade effluent discharged to the sewer.

The purpose of trade effluent control is to ensure that any discharge does not adversely affect Uisce Éireann’s wastewater infrastructure and associated processes or the environment. Other key objectives are to protect public health, including the health and safety of Uisce Éireann sampling staff and those working on sewer networks and at treatment works and UE’s wastewater infrastructure and associated processes.

The CRU states that trade effluent customers will be classified into three categories for charging purposes based upon their primary business activity and their annual water consumption. A customer’s classification will be reviewed annually based on the most recent, if any, changes to business activity and the most recent water consumption data.

If you are unsure of what broad business activity (“Industrial” or “Commercial”) is most applicable to your trade effluent connection, please contact us at dischargetosewer@water.ie. 

Along with the business activity, annual consumption (m3) or Annual Quantity (AQ) is the next factor used to assign a trade effluent connection its tariff category. The tariffs to apply will be determined based on the connection’s previous year’s annual water consumption.

By reducing your water consumption customers will reduce both their water and trade effluent bills. Category 2 & 3 customers can also reduce their bills by lowering the strength of their effluent. See the supports available to you here.

Customers will be communicated with through a variety of channels to ensure consistent updates and strong awareness.

These will include:

• Letters issued directly to all non-domestic customers, providing updates and increasing awareness of upcoming changes.
• Social media communications across platforms including LinkedIn and Twitter to share timely updates and key messages.
• Supports on the Uisce Éireann website, regularly updated customer FAQ's, and we have a dedicated mailbox for responding to customer queries. The mailbox is “tradeeffluent@water.ie”.

The type of trade effluent licence a customer should apply for depends on the nature of the wastewater they discharge and the type of business activity they carry out.

Uisce Eireann is responsible for licences when commercial and industrial activities fall below EPA activity thresholds. We grant trade effluent licences in accordance with Section 16 of the Local Government (Water Pollution) Acts 1977 & 1990.

EPA Licence:

The EPA is responsible for licences from activities listed in the First Schedule of the Environment Protection Agency Act. However, businesses requiring EPA licences and the EPA themselves must consult with Uisce Éireann on any trade effluent discharge to the sewer network.

Businesses requiring EPA licences generally operate as much larger-scale industries. The EPA website has information on whether your business activity needs an EPA licence.

FOG Licence (Fats, Oils & Grease Licence):

This licence applies to Food Service Establishments (FSEs) including but are not limited to restaurants, takeaways, pubs which serve food. These are also cafés, coffee shops, hotels, B&Bs, convenience stores, supermarkets or garage forecourt shops with delicatessen counters.

These businesses generate wastewater containing fats, oils, grease, and food particles, which must be controlled through proper grease management equipment. To read more about applying for a FOG licence - See here.

Trade Effluent (TE) Licence:

A TE licence is required where a business discharges trade effluent that is not primarily FOG-related.

This includes commercial activities (e.g., laundries, hospitals, car washes, swimming pools) and industrial activities (e.g., manufacturing, , food production, pharmaceutical and chemical production industries). For more information on a TE licence view here.

The CRU has confirmed the Tariff Application Rules (TAR) for trade effluent customers as part of the non-domestic and trade effluent tariff framework. Uisce Éireann confirms that trade effluent customers should be classified based on their annual water consumption and business activity. Read more about the CRU's confirmed decision here.

Trade effluent Category 2 and 3 customers are charged using the Mogden formula, which is based on:

• the volume of effluent discharged; and
• the strength of the effluent, measured using Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Suspended Solids (SS).

Where no sampling data is available, charges will be calculated using 30% of the customer's Emission Limit Values (ELVs) for COD and SS. This approach applies for a maximum of one tariff year (12 months).

Trade effluent customers often discharge both sanitary wastewater and trade effluent. Where sanitary flows cannot be separately metered, the CRU has approved the use of a "litres per working day" approach to estimate volumes for billing purposes.

The following allowances apply:

• 25 litres per employee per working day where no canteen serving hot food is present; or
• 50 litres per employee per working day where a canteen serving hot food is present.

The estimated sanitary wastewater volume will be charged at the standard non-domestic wastewater tariff, with the remaining discharge charged under Mogden rates.

In addition, transition arrangements will apply for eligible customers moving tariff structure. A customer must experience a bill increase of at least €750 to qualify. For those eligible, annual bill increases will be capped over a five-year period, starting at 9.4% in year 1 and increasing incrementally to 25% by year 5. Read more on the TE tariff framework final CRU decision here.

• Any existing licence remains valid if the licence has not been reviewed or revoked, or
• Any existing licence remains valid for a period of three years following cessation of the discharge of trade effluent to sewer

The existing licence is sufficient until such time as a licence review is required.

The current licence is revoked and a new licence application is required.

The current licence requires a review which can be initiated by contacting dischargetosewer@water.ie quoting your current discharge licence number.

The current licence is revoked and a new licence application is required.

A licence review will be required if the following applies:

• If there is a change to the business/trading name
• If there is a material change to such an extent that the licensee is no longer able to comply with its existing licence conditions. This includes changes that:
  • may alter the nature or composition of the trade effluent discharged to sewer
  • may alter volume or rate of flow of the trade effluent discharged to sewer
  • may alter abatement, treatment or recovery systems installed in connection with the trade effluent discharged to sewer
  • may alter the range of processes or activities giving rise to the trade effluent
• There are continuous non-compliances with any conditions of the existing licence
• There is a change of a discharge to sewer location in an already licensed site

Both Uisce Éireann and the licensee can initiate a licence review. To initiate a review please email dischargetosewer@water.ie quoting your current discharge licence number. Where Uisce Éireann initiates the review the application fee is non-applicable.