About Trade Effluent Charges

The previous  non-domestic charging  Framework did not contain a national set of harmonised charging arrangements  to apply to connections licensed to discharge trade effluent into Uisce Éireann’s wastewater network. As a result, there is a wide range of separate trade effluent charging arrangements  currently in place across the country. These vary in level, structure, and application. Many of the existing trade effluent charging arrangements have weak incentives to reduce the level of  pollutants and volume of trade effluent discharged into Uisce Éireann’s wastewater network.

The new trade effluent charges will only apply to connections licensed to discharge trade effluent into Uisce Éireann’s wastewater network. The new trade effluent charges will not come into effect until 1st October 2026 and a further consultation will be required in advance of this date to set trade effluent tariff levels.

The CRU’s decision provides for the integration of harmonised national trade effluent charging arrangements into the overall Non-Domestic Tariff Framework. Trade effluent tariffs will not come into effect until 1st October 2026. This is to provide customers with sufficient time to plan for the change and to enable Uisce Éireann make the necessary system and operational change to implement national trade effluent charging arrangements. As part of a future consultation, new trade effluent tariffs will be set and will apply from 1st October 2026. Uisce Éireann will maintain the existing Local Authority (LA) trade effluent charging arrangements until this date.

The CRU decision means trade effluent customers will be classified into three Categories for charging purposes  based upon their primary business activity and their annual water consumption. A customer’s classification will be reviewed annually based on the most recent, if any, changes to the business activity and the most recent water consumption data.

Uisce Éireann will assign a business activity to a connection as either Commercial or Industrial. We shall do so by assigning a unique code (referred to as a TEC Code) based on an extensive business activity description list. The TEC code reflects each customers primary activity and relative strength of effluent discharged.

If you are unsure of what broad business activity (“Industrial” or “Commercial”) is most applicable to your trade effluent connection, please contact us at dischargetosewer@water.ie

Along with the business activity, annual consumption (m3) or Annual Quantity (AQ) is the next factor used to assign a trade effluent connection its tariff category. The tariffs to apply will be determined based on the connection’s previous year’s annual water consumption.

Correspondence will issue to all trade effluent customers annually advising of their AQ, business activity and the Trade Effluent Tariff Category that will be applied at the start of each new tariff year (1st October). For further information on AQ see here.

Customers may query their assigned AQ or business activity if they feel it does not accurately represent their business and places them in wrong Trade Effluent Tariff Category. The ability to query shall only become available during 2026 once TE customers have been advised of their tariff category.

The inclusion of trade effluent service charges in the overall Non-Domestic Charging Framework delivers:

• Charges that are simpler and more transparent than what exists today
• Charges that are more equitable by ensuring that commercial customers discharging the same volume of trade effluent are charged the same and industrial customers discharging the same volume and strength of trade effluent are also charged the same;
• Charges that reflect the actual costs of providing trade effluent services to the business sector
• Charges that promote water conservation by maintaining a relatively low fixed standing charges, providing more scope and incentive for customers to reduce their water and wastewater bills.
• Charges that align with the polluter pays principle, that is, customers discharging high-strength trade effluent pay higher charges than customers discharging low-strength trade effluent (for the same volume of trade effluent discharged).

Download our Customer Information Paper which summarises the CRU’s decision, considers overall customer impact and includes case study examples of the new charges (see section 5). 

Download the Water Charges Plan which outlines the manner and method by which Uisce Éireann charges its customers. 

Uisce Éireann is pleased to offer an Advanced Water Stewardship Programme in partnership with Water Stewardship Ireland and the Sustainable Enterprise Skillnet. This new offering is designed to support business customers in addressing trade effluent and water quality challenges. It also helps participants prepare for upcoming regulatory changes and develop strategies to manage trade effluent charges effectively.

Learn more about the Advanced Water Stewardship.

For more information on other Business Customer initiatives on water conservation, testimonies and signposting to available external funding options to improve environmental performance please see our Water conservation for business page.