1. Confirm the discharge route and authority
A laundry sending trade effluent to the public sewerage system must obtain PUB Written Approval before discharge. It sets conditions for the business at the approved premises. Start with PUB’s Written Approval guidance and locate your existing approval before planning a retrofit.
Open drains, canals and rivers are watercourses covered by NEA’s separate requirements. NEA’s watercourse discharge guidance explains the written permission and applicable conditions. Confirm the outlet using site plans and the building operator; sewer approval does not permit discharge to a stormwater drain.
For an on-site laundry within a hotel or a shared building, identify who holds the approval and manages the discharge connection. The Singapore site assessment guide helps frame space, access and shared utility questions.
2. Prepare the approval and retrofit information
New Written Approval applications go through GoBusiness. PUB also requires reapplication for relevant changes to processes, pretreatment, plant layout, discharge quantity or major raw materials and chemicals. Discuss the proposed recycling retrofit with PUB before changing the installation; see the application and change requirements.
PUB’s supporting-document checklist includes business and trade details, process diagrams, chemical quantities and safety data sheets, equipment and wastewater-treatment layouts, water use, peak discharge rate and effluent characteristics.
For planning, gather the current approval, recent bills, wash recipes, chemical list, plant drawings and discharge test results. Mark the proposed collection, reuse, treatment, sampling and final discharge points. Compare the recycling process with your actual wash streams, then use the installation guide to define connections and works that need review.
3. Assess reuse and final discharge separately
Recycling or filtration does not automatically satisfy discharge standards. A project assessment should examine both flow and pollutant concentration: lower discharge volume alone does not demonstrate cleaner effluent. Check the remaining discharge against the applicable limits and the site’s approval conditions.
PUB calls for representative samples from the pretreatment sampling tank or sump. Tests generally include biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total suspended solids (TSS), plus parameters relevant to the activity. Use PUB’s sampling guidance and accredited laboratory reference to plan the required analysis.
Separately define which wash stages may accept recovered water and how laundry quality will be checked. For hotel laundry planning, consider the linen mix and wash schedule; for hospital laundry planning, involve the facility’s infection prevention and laundry quality team in any proposed process change.
4. Check whether the TEF scheme applies
PUB’s Trade Effluent Fee (TEF) scheme is an opt-in programme requiring approval for eligible higher organic loadings. Its published guidance covers BOD and TSS, with COD eligibility restrictions. It is not a separate charge automatically imposed on every laundry, or permission to discharge any wastewater.
For approved scheme participants, fees depend on discharge quality and volume. Read PUB’s TEF eligibility and calculation guidance and confirm your account’s billing parameters before modelling a change. Assess the proposed flow and concentration together; a projected water saving does not establish a matching fee reduction.
The laundry water cost guide provides a starting point for comparing bills. Use your actual account charges, treatment and maintenance costs, metered production and quoted equipment costs in the project calculation.
5. Check funding eligibility before starting
PUB’s Water Efficiency Fund application guidance, updated 25 May 2026, includes eligibility conditions for water efficiency and recycling projects. Initiatives undertaken to comply with regulatory requirements are excluded, and projects can commence only after PUB’s express approval. Confirm the proposed project’s eligibility and timing with PUB before relying on funding in the business case.
Frequently asked questions
When does a laundry need PUB Written Approval?
A laundry discharging trade effluent into the public sewerage system needs PUB Written Approval before discharge. The approval applies to the business at the approved location and sets discharge conditions.
Does water recycling automatically make the discharge compliant?
No. Assess the proposed discharge volume and pollutant concentrations against the applicable requirements and approval conditions. Representative sampling is needed; a recycling or filtration specification alone does not establish compliance.
Does every commercial laundry pay a Trade Effluent Fee?
No. PUB’s TEF scheme requires approval and has eligibility conditions for higher organic loadings. For enrolled premises, fees depend on discharge quality and volume. Check your approval and account before estimating savings.
Does PUB sewer approval cover discharge to an open drain?
No. Open drains and other watercourses are subject to NEA’s separate discharge requirements. A PUB approval for the public sewer does not authorise watercourse discharge.
The official sources linked above describe the approval, sampling and fee requirements. Use your premises’ conditions and PUB or NEA’s response to determine the requirements for a specific project.
Plan Your Laundry Water Assessment
Bring your bills, wash volumes and current discharge information to a free ROI assessment. Identify the inputs needed to evaluate a retrofit and the questions to take to the relevant authority.