Recommendations for General Photographic Laboratories

Summary

• Any trade or premises where the primary business is the developing and printing of photographic film and paper; utilising photographic chemicals.
• It can be for amateur, professional or in-house photographers.
• Effluent volumes typically between 12.5 and 10,000 cubic metres (12,500 to 10 million litres) per annum, including wash-water (roughly equates to the annual water consumption).
• Recommended method for handling the photo effluent is to use a recognised haulaway contractor to remove it. 
• The efficient use of in-house silver-recovery technology may be an option.
• It is proposed that such premises be on a fixed-charge trade effluent tariff. Typical values would be in the area of COD of 350 ppm and a suspended solids content of 35 ppm for photo-processing effluent.

Recommendation

These laboratories must obtain a ‘Consent to Discharge Trade Effluent’, even if they use haulaway for all their used photo-chemicals, since the wash water will be discharged to sewer.

Trade effluent charges will be calculated using a “Mogden”-type Formula based on fixed strengths using water in, less an allowance for domestic waste plus haulaway volumes. If laboratory effluent strength differs from the typical values above, the charge will be based on the actual COD and suspended solids discharged.

Silver-bearing waste effluent i.e. bleach, fixer, bleach-fix and super rinse stabilisers, must either be removed off site for recovery/disposal or treated in-house. This should be done in an efficient manner that will ensure a maximum effluent discharge for silver as stated in the ‘Consent to Discharge Trade Effluent’ (unlikely to exceed 5 ppm).

Some non silver-bearing waste may be discharged to sewer together with wash water as trade effluent, subject to all Consent limits being met.

1. To qualify for this category, the laboratory must satisfy the following:
2. Have a water usage less than 10,000 cubic metres per annum.
3. Have a current ‘Consent to Discharge Trade Effluent’.
4. Have proof of haulaway or an outline of their silver recovery system and data on the recovery efficiency.
5. Have an emergency spillage response procedure and a chemical storage plan.
6. Have a water supply and drainage plan.
7. Have an environmental policy approved by the laboratory management.
8. Laboratories should be prepared to demonstrate their compliance to their Water Services Companies.

Notes to the Code

Water consumption is as measured by the premises' incoming water meter or sub-meter to the process. If water recycling is used, the original volume used prior to recycling should be utilised to establish into which category the laboratory falls.

Exclusions from the Code

This code of practice is not intended to apply to businesses engaged in the use of reprographic photolitho, fast print shops, or printing.

It is not applicable where photographic and other imaging products are manufactured.

Any company whose business also uses non-photographic processes should apply the Code of Practice only to their photo-processing effluent.