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Permits granted for the disposal of industrial chemical waste to sewer are heavily monitored by the Water Corporation under Government legislation and may be liable to civil action if breached.
Poor health, environmental and legal consequences may occur where correct disposal is not adhered to.
Some aqueous and water miscible wastes in limited quantities are permitted to be disposed of to sewer in accordance with permits and guidelines set out by the Water Corporation.
For each major building on campus with waste other than normal domestic effluent running to sewer, there is an industrial waste permit issued by the Water Corporation. These permits allow industrial waste streams to run to sewer within strict limits and guidelines specified in the permit, and subject to change from time to time. The waste streams are subject to random sampling and analysis through monitoring points by Water Corporation personnel to ensure compliance with specified acceptance criteria.
The penalties for breaches of permit conditions can be severe, both under statute and common law. If a discharge results in contamination of the sewage treatment plant or damage to Water Corporation equipment, civil action may be pursued by Water Corporation in addition to any criminal prosecution which may be undertaken.
Refer to these documents for information on the sampling and monitoring of wastes.
Guidelines and/or limits are usually given on the Industrial Waste Permit for a particular building. These should be consulted for specific direction. Acceptance criteria for the waste water treatment plant specify concentrations and total amounts of wastes which are permitted to be disposed of to sewer.
The Water Corporation also provides online brochures for specific waste streams such as:
Note that point 6 on neutralisation of acid waste over 2.5 litres prior to sewer disposal applies at a much lower level of 100 millilitres at UWA, to preserve internal waste water piping.
Industrial waste must not be run to sewer in a building for which an industrial waste permit has not been issued, or outside of the guidelines provided in Water Corporation publications or the specific building industrial waste permit.
For queries on industrial waste issues or specific substances, contact the Chemical Safety Officer on (+61) 8 6488 7934.