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· Discharge of Effluent to Controlled Waters
"Controlled Waters" include all watercourses,
canals and groundwater (water contained in underground
strata)
There are two main types of discharge to controlled
waters:
1) Point sources: arising from fixed locations such
as an outfall pipe, most discharges from Industrial
or Sewage Treatment Works fall into this category
2) Diffuse sources: run-off from agricultural land and
urban areas, diffuse sources by their nature are more
difficult to control by regulation than point sources
The Water
Resources Act 1991 (WRA) regulates discharges to
and abstraction from controlled waters (i.e. rivers,
estuaries, coastal waters, lakes and groundwater's)
and is enforced by the Environment Agency.
Under the WRA it is an offence to cause, or knowingly
permit without prior consent from the Environment Agency,
a discharge of poisonous, noxious or toxic material
or solid waste to enter into any controlled water.
Charges
The Environment Agency levies both an application fee
and an annual charge prior to giving consent to discharge
to controlled waters.
Application fees for consent to discharge are levied
for each different effluent to be discharged. The standard
application fee in 2003-2004 is £722. A reduced
fee of £103 is charged where:
ü The discharge is less than 5 m3/day of sewage
or
ü Less than 10 m3 of trade effluent from cooling
or heat exchange
or
ü Is surface water without trade effluent
The annual charge is calculated based on four factors
ü Volume
ü Pollutant content
ü Receiving Water
ü Financial Year
How are the regulations enforced?
Failure to comply with discharge consent is an offence
subject to a fine of up to £20,000 and or a maximum
of 3 months imprisonment if tried in a Magistrates Court
and an unlimited fine and up to 2 years imprisonment
if tried in a Crown Court.
Do I need to obtain consent for discharge of wastewater
from surface water drains?
The surface water drains from industrial premises should
carry only uncontaminated water. Above minimum contamination
limits certain types of discharge from surface water
drains to controlled waters may require consent from
The Environment Agency.
Authorisation may need to be sought for:
1) Drainage from roofs and hardstandings
2) Surface water from car parks should be discharged
into surface water drainage systems. An oil interceptor
may be required depending on an assessment of the risk
of contamination from matter dropped onto the car park.
The Environment Agency consider that a discharge consent
will be required for car parks in excess of 2000 square
metres (117 cars)
3) Drainage from garage forecourts and fuel delivery
and storage areas
4) Water from external washings and cleaning activities
5) Consent is required to discharge water and matter
from vehicle washing operations into any controlled
waters. If mineral oil is present at 0.1% or more the
wastes are deemed "Special" and subject to
Control of Pollution (Special waste Regulations) 1980
and PPC/IPPC regulations.
5) Sewage or septic tank drainage from industrial or
commercial premises
6) The risk of contaminated water entering surface drains
and therefore the need to obtain consent may be reduced
by implementing simple water treatment and building
design measures such as:
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Where practical not installing air cleaning equipment
on roofs such that any discharges can enter the
drainage
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Installing interceptors to remove oil and grit
from the drainage water from hardstandings such
as car parks
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Installing interceptors to remove oil from garage
forecourts and fuel delivery services
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Do I need to obtain consent if the process that
I operate is under the remit of IPC/IPPC regulations?
If you operate a process that is regulated under IPC/IPPC
regulations the discharges made to controlled waters
will be considered within the appropriate
IPC/IPPC authorisation and be reflected in the permit
conditions.
If your company intends to make a discharge you should
apply to the Environment Agency (Tel: 0845 933 3111
or 0800 585794) for a consent form and further advice.
Links to further Information
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Envirowise
Ref. Note 189 The Water Resources Act
Environment
Agency (PPG1) General Guide to the Prevention of Water
Pollution
Environment
Agency (PPG3) Use and Design of Oil Separators in Surface
Water Drainage Systems
Environment
Agency (PPG11) Preventing Pollution on Industrial Sites
Environment
Agency (PPG13) High Pressure Water and Steam Cleaners
Ground
water protection of fuel storage tanks
back to water disposal
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