In simple terms, trade effluent is any liquid waste, other than surface water and domestic sewage, that’s discharged from a premises being used for a business, trade or industry.*
From lowering your charges to cutting water use, better trade effluent management can help you get more value from your water.
Trade effluent often costs more than you think
Trade effluent charges aren’t just based on how much waste water you discharge. Charges can change depending on things like chemical composition, volume and temperature, meaning the more contaminated your waste water is, the more it can cost to treat and dispose of.**
Poor trade effluent management can lead to higher discharge fees, additional monitoring, fines or penalties and operational disruption.
Improving how you manage your trade effluent can help you avoid unnecessary costs.
How you can save
Reduce your waste water:
The simplest way to cut costs is to send less waste water to drain and be mindful of the amount of water you are discharging.
By improving processes, you can reduce overall discharge volumes, lower sewer charges and decrease demand for freshwater. Even small reductions can have a noticeable impact over time.
Lower the strength of your effluent:
Trade effluent charges are often linked to contamination levels.
Treating or controlling what goes into your waste water can reduce costs and help you save. You can do this by separating waste streams, installing grease or oil interceptors or improving cleaning processes.
Reuse and recycle water where possible:
More businesses are recognising waste water as a resource, not just waste. Treating and reusing your waste water on-site can reduce your freshwater consumption, lower trade effluent discharge volumes and cut both water and waste water bills.
In some cases, water can be reused for cleaning, cooling or other non-potable uses, helping to reduce overall operational costs while supporting sustainability goals.
How we can help
As water resources are coming under increasing pressure and regulations continue to evolve, businesses have the opportunity to use their trade effluent efficiently to cut costs, improve efficiency and strengthen sustainability credentials.
Get in touch with our experts today at solutions@business-stream.co.uk to find out how smarter trade effluent management can help you reduce costs and stay compliant.
Sources:
* What is Trade Effluent? Definition, Consents & UK Regulations
** How to Reduce Trade Effluent Costs - Scottish Water
For more information on trade effluent, please view the Sewerage (Scotland) Act 1968 (for premises in Scotland) and the Water Industry Act 1991 (for premises in England) which provide legal definitions for trade effluent.