Ofwat approves new five-day deadline for trade effluent consents

From 28 August, retailers will have five business days to process trade effluent forms.

Ofwat last week approved code change CPW074, which prescribes that retailers must pass the relevant trade effluent forms on to wholesalers or return them to customers for clarification within five days from receipt of a request from a customer for a consent.

Where customers apply direct to wholesalers for trade effluent services, retailers have five days to accept the liability for the wholesale charges in respect of the consent with the wholesaler.  

Previously there was no prescribed time limit, which has resulted in delays of sometimes weeks or months after the customer has initiated an application for the request to reach wholesalers, and the resulting poor customer experience.