Trade Waste

Trade waste is liquid waste produced by industrial, commercial, and manufacturing activities, requiring regulated discharge into sewer systems. Effective sampling, testing, and monitoring help businesses meet local water authority requirements, preventing environmental contamination, sewer blockages, infrastructure damage, and treatment inefficiencies.

Each trade waste stream must meet physical, chemical, and biological standards to avoid hazards such as toxic buildup, corrosion, and treatment failures. Compliance requires routine sampling, pollutant control, and risk assessment strategies to ensure that discharges remain within approved limits.

Aquascience provides specialised trade waste testing solutions, ensuring that businesses adhere to water authority regulations while optimising wastewater management. By tailoring testing programs to regulatory and operational needs, we help industries maintain compliance, manage risks, and prevent costly violations.

Compliance monitoring is essential but depends on pollution levels, discharge composition, and trade waste agreements. Regular testing and analysis ensure that discharges meet acceptance criteria while identifying potential risks.

Physical Characteristics:
Trade waste must comply with temperature, solid content, and oil/grease limits to prevent blockages and treatment inefficiencies. Wastewater temperature must be controlled to protect biological treatment processes, while excess solids require pretreatment to avoid sewer accumulation. Fats, oils, and grease (FOG) must be removed to prevent pipeline blockages and system failures.

Chemical Contaminants:
Trade waste may contain heavy metals, organic compounds, and hazardous chemicals, requiring strict control. pH balance must be maintained to prevent corrosion and treatment disruptions. Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) monitoring help prevent organic overload at treatment plants.

Sulfur & Heavy Metals:
Sulfur compounds, including sulfides, can lead to hydrogen sulfide gas formation, which causes sewer corrosion and odor issues. Heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and chromium pose toxicity risks to treatment plant microorganisms and receiving waters, requiring strict monitoring and reduction before discharge. Halogens, cyanides, and hydrocarbons are closely regulated due to their reactivity and hazardous properties.

Nutrient Pollution & Treatment Efficiency:
Inadequate biological treatment can result in excess nutrient levels, leading to algae blooms, oxygen depletion, and treatment inefficiencies. Poor nutrient removal may cause sewer corrosion and increased discharge risks, requiring process optimisation and routine analysis to maintain treatment effectiveness.

Hazardous & Industrial Waste Risks:
Certain industries discharge pesticides, solvents, and persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which pose long-term environmental and health risks.