Your DWTN Outage Playbook
Outages are inevitable. Whether it’s a local broadband failure or a Defra API downtime, UK waste sites need a plan. Here is your 3-step guide to maintaining DWTN compliance when "offline".
Reminder: From October 2026, waste receivers cannot rely solely on paper records for compliance (\"paper hard stop\").
Before: Prepare & Buffer
Don't wait for the red light. Ensure your weighbridge software has \"offline buffering\" capability. This means your system can locally store DWTNs without a live connection to the central server.
During: The "Offline" Protocol
When the signal drops:
1. Switch to Local Mode immediately.
2. Continue issuing tickets; the software creates a compliant, timestamped 'Pending' DWTN.
3. Do NOT revert to paper unless your digital system has completely failed.
After: Smart Sync & Audit
Once connectivity is restored, your system must automatically "Smart Sync" with Defra. Verify that all pending DWTNs have transitioned to 'Submitted' status and check your audit logs.
Common Questions on DWTN Outages
Is it legal to issue tickets offline?
Yes, provided you have a digital system that captures the required data points and uploads them as soon as reasonably practicable. See <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/digital-waste-tracking-service" target="_blank" style="color: var(--primary-color); text-decoration: underline;">Defra's Digital Waste Tracking guidance for specifics on 'system failure' protocols.
What if the Defra API itself is down?
If the central UK service is down, you cannot halt operations. Your "offline-first" middleware acts as the buffer, holding the data until the government servers are back online.