Sewerage management & pricing

The NSW Government sets the guidelines for sewerage and liquid trade waste pricing.

Sewerage pricing for non-residential customers

Like water pricing, sewerage pricing is made up of an access charge and a usage charge. 

There is also a charge if the strength of the sewage discharge means it requires more processing at the sewage treatment plant. This extra charge is called a liquid trade waste charge. 

Sewerage pricing relates to your water meter size

The access charge is based on the size of your water meter. The larger the water meter, the greater the access charge.

If you believe your water meter size does not match the size of your sewerage connection, please contact Council for advice on 6566 3200.

Sewerage pricing relates to your water usage

Sewerage pricing assumes that the water we have supplied to you is discharged to the sewerage system. This is called the sewerage discharge factor (SDF). The SDF varies depending on the type of business you have.

We calculate the sewerage usage charge by multiplying the SDF by the water consumed:

     usage charge (sewerage) = SDF x water consumption (kL) 

Liquid trade waste charges

Liquid trade waste charges are made up of an annual fee and a usage charge.

The annual fee is based on the ‘scale’ of the discharger and their treatment regime – for example, minimal pre-treatment, prescribed pre-treatment, large discharger or industrial waste discharger.

The liquid trade waste usage charge is determined by multiplying the trade waste discharge factor (TWDF) by the water consumed:

Access charges for fire services

Any water meter that is dedicated to fire services or fits Council’s criteria for reduced water access charges will not be charged for sewerage. 

Large sewage dischargers

The usage charge for large sewage dischargers and industrial waste strength dischargers is based on the volume of the waste type – for example, chemicals, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) or suspended solids. This is called the excess mass charge. Large dischargers may need to enter into specific liquid trade waste agreements with Kempsey Shire Council.