Christine Crawford
Uisce Éireann Water Stewardship Programme Manager
Better management of trade effluent can help businesses reduce costs, protect water quality and improve environmental performance. Uisce Éireann offers businesses a range of fully funded Trade Effluent Water Stewardship supports.
Trade effluent is wastewater produced by businesses, services, research activities or industrial processes that is discharged into the sewer. Unlike normal wastewater from homes and workplaces, it can contain higher levels of pollutants, making it more difficult and expensive to treat.
New approach to trade effluent charging
From October 2026, new national trade effluent charging arrangements will come into effect for licensed customers who discharge trade effluent into Uisce Éireann’s wastewater network. The changes will introduce a consistent national approach to trade effluent charging, replacing legacy arrangements that have varied depending on customer type and location.
For businesses, now is an important time to understand their trade effluent and identify opportunities to reduce both the volume and strength of wastewater discharged.
Practical support for businesses
To help customers prepare, Uisce Éireann, in partnership with Sustainable Enterprise Skillnet, is offering a range of fully funded Trade Effluent Water Stewardship supports. From a short online course for SMEs to an eight-week programme for larger businesses, they offer the tools and expertise to help businesses understand and manage trade effluent at site level.
The Trade Effluent Essentials Programme provides SMEs with an accessible introduction to trade effluent requirements, water quality and compliance, plus ways to reduce effluent strength, volume and charges.
For larger businesses, the eight-week Trade Effluent Water Stewardship Programme provides more in-depth support. Participants examine their water use, drainage and effluent flows, identify opportunities for improvement and develop a tailored Water Charter for their facility.
To help customers prepare, Uisce Éireann,
in partnership with Sustainable Enterprise Skillnet,
is offering a range of fully funded Trade Effluent Water Stewardship supports
The programmes can help businesses to:
- identify opportunities to reduce trade effluent volume and strength;
- improve water efficiency and protect water quality;
- identify potential operational and cost savings;
- understand evolving regulatory and reporting requirements;
- develop practical, site-specific actions to improve environmental performance.
Fully funded support for all businesses
“We’re committed to supporting our business customers to manage their trade effluent effectively. Our fully funded Trade Effluent Water Stewardship supports provide practical guidance and tools to help businesses to prepare for the changes to charges, identify opportunities for improvement and take action to manage costs and protect water quality,” said Geoffrey Bourke, Head of Customer Operations, Uisce Éireann.
The programmes form part of a wider range of Uisce Éireann supports available to trade effluent customers, including a Trade Effluent Tariff Calculator and sector-specific guidance for brewing, food processing, manufacturing and engineering and biopharma and chemical industries.
