Discharge to Surface water

It is common practice, particularly in non-sewered rural areas, to discharge treated sewage to either a local river, stream or ditch. If carried out correctly the disposal of treated sewage in this way provides a safe environmental option.
However if carried out incorrectly the risk of pollution of the water environment from poorly treated sewage is high. In order to protect the water environment there are a number of rules that operators of small sewage plants that discharge to surfacewaters must comply with.
If you are the operator of small sewage treatment plant that discharges to surfacewater then you must either comply with the ‘General Binding Rules’ or apply for an Environmental Permit from the Environment Agency.

To benefit from the General Binding Rules an operator of an existing treatment plant, (dating from before 1st January 2015), must comply with the following criteria:-

  • The discharge must be 5 cubic metres/5000 litres or less per day. This equates to about 30-35 people.
  • The sewage must be domestic only
  • The sewage must not cause pollution
  • The sewage must be treated by a British Standard sewage treatment plant. Discharges from septic tanks directly to surfacewaters are strictly prohibited.
  • The system must be installed and operated in accordance with manufacturers guidelines and maintenance must be undertaken by somebody who is competent.
  • Waste sludge must be disposed of by an authorised waste carrier

For new discharges started after 1st April 2015 there are additional rules that apply and these include:-

  • New discharges must not be within 30 metres of a sewer
  • You must ensure that all necessary building control approvals are in place
  • New discharges must not be in or within: 500 metres of a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), Special Protection Area (SPA), Ramsar site, biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), freshwater pearl mussel population, designated bathing water, or protected shellfish water; 200 metres of an aquatic local nature reserve; 50 metres of a chalk river or aquatic local wildlife site.
  • New discharges must be to a watercourse with all year round flow. It must not dry out in summer.
  • New discharges should not be made to an enclosed lake or pond.
Image by Obsidain Photography from Pixabay

Further information on the rules can be found on the .Gov.Uk website at:-
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/general-binding-rules-small-sewage-discharge-to-a-surface-water

If you cannot meet the rules or are in any doubt we would advise that you contact the Environment Agency on 0370 850 6506 to discuss the matter.
Advice on applying for an Environmental Permit can also be obtained from the free Environment Agency Pre-application service at:-
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/environmental-permit-pre-application-advice-form

Keep Up to date with the latest developments with the site and rules around Septic tanks, Water treatment systems and clean rivers and lakes.

Whether you live, work or are visiting the beautiful coasts and countryside of Cumbria, Lancashire and Merseyside, you’ll find lots of useful information on this page… and please do the right thing when you need to answer the call of nature.

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