About trade effluent

Trade effluent is any liquid waste that is discharged from a business premises to the public sewers. You must have a trade effluent licence to discharge trade effluent to the sewer.

Trade effluent discharges vary in their nature, composition, and volume depending on the business. There is also varying capacity in our sewers and wastewater treatment plants.

This means Uisce Éireann must carefully assess and regulate all discharges to our sewer network in order to ensure that public health, our operations and the environment are fully protected

Trade Effluent licence

Trade effluent discharges to sewer are regulated by Uisce Éireann or the EPA. You must have a trade effluent licence or an EPA licence to discharge trade effluent to the sewer. The type and scale of activity will determine the regulatory authority responsible for licensing the trade effluent discharged to the sewer.

A trade effluent licence sets out conditions that businesses must comply with. These may include:

The nature, composition and volume of the trade effluent discharge
The method of treatment, the location of discharge and the periods during which discharge may be made
The taking and analysis of trade effluent samples and the trade effluent records that must be kept
Applicable charges for discharging trade effluent, as approved by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU)

The licence application fee is a once off payment and currently stands at €380. Charges for the provision of general water & wastewater services shall be as per charges as set out in Uisce Éireann's Charges Plan.

Who needs a licence

The following list gives examples of the different business types that should have a Trade effluent licence. Other sectors that can require a licence include manufacturing, engineering, and construction.

Food service establishments

Restaurants, takeaways and establishments where food is prepared must have a Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) Trade Effluent licence.

Food and drink

Meat/fish/dairy and food processing, breweries, distilleries, concentrates/soft drinks producers, bakeries, large-scale production kitchens, and confectionary

Biopharma and chemical

Chemicals, bio-technology, pharmaceuticals, human and animal health

Institutional

Hospitals, universities, and healthcare facilities

Commercial

Carwashes, service stations, hotels, launderettes, dry cleaners, swimming pools, spas, leisure centres, and caravan parks

Waste sector

Landfills, waste transfer stations, recycling facilities, waste processing, treatment and storage facilities, and incinerators

Apply for a licence

Apply for a trade effluent licence

In order to apply for a trade effluent licence, you are required to submit an application form.

Apply for a FOG licence

This a legal requirement if your business discharges fat, oils or grease to a public sewer.

Disposing of Trade Effluent

Disposing of fats, oils and grease (FOG)

Prevent costly blockages on your premises and in your local area. Learn how to dispose of fat, oils and grease originating from food products properly.

Tankered wastewater

This is wastewater that is not discharged into the public wastewater system. Instead, it is collected and transported by tanker to a suitable wastewater treatment plant. There it will be treated before re-entering the environment.

Trade Effluent FAQs

See our frequently asked questions about discharging trade effluent.

Browse the FAQs