General Binding Rules & Permits
The Bio-Pure is a small packaged sewage treatment plant, which can discharge directly to surface water (and groundwater) as it is treated. The rules for discharging sewage effluent in England and Wales have recently changed (on 6th April 2010) under The Environmental Permitting Regulations 2010. You will now need to apply for an exemption or for a permit (if you do not qualify for exemption). It is illegal to discharge sewage effluent without a registration (of exemption) or permit. Failure to register or obtain a permit may result in enforcement action by the Environment Agency.
The Environmental Permitting Regulations 2010
Information on Binding Rules & Permits
There are certain criteria to meet in order to apply for an exemption. If these criteria cannot be met, then you should apply for a permit. Firstly, you will need to know how much effluent you will be discharging a day. The Environment Agency has a simple way to work out the volume that you will be discharging each day (see below). This will give you a good idea whether you should apply for a permit or exemption.
Please note that this only applies to domestic effluent, if your effluent contains trade effluent, please view the information on permits. It is probably wise to speak to your local Environment Agency too.
If you are discharging to:
· Surface water (i.e. a watercourse) under 5m3 a day; or
· Groundwater (i.e a soakaway) under 2m3 a day
If you are discharging
· To surface water over 5m3 per day; or
· To groundwater over 2m3 per day
Permit to Discharge
What is a permit?
If you can not comply with the exemption criteria, you will need to apply to the Environment Agency for a permit. A permit is a way of obtaining permission to discharge sewage effluent. There are two types of permit; the standard rules permit and the bespoke permit.
Obtaining a permit
If you are discharging to surface water, check that you can comply with the standard rules for the standard rules permit. If not you will need to apply for a bespoke permit. If you are discharging to groundwater, check with the Environment Agency to see which permit will apply.
The Standard Rules
Apply for a standard permit if you can meet the following criteria:
* The discharge must be domestic and not contain any trade effluent
* It must be impractical to connect to a foul sewer
* The sewage treatment plant must be designed and built to BS 12566 and sized according to Flows and Loads 3
* The treatment plant is operated and maintained according to the Manufacturer’s recommendations
* The discharge is made into a watercourse (and normally contains water throughout the year)
* The discharge cannot be made to water that is 1km upstream of an identified bathing water, a designated shellfish water, European Site , Ramsar site, Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), National Nature Reserve, Local Nature Reserve or any body of water identified as containing a Protected Species or within 100m from a Local Wildlife site. This restriction only applies to conservation sites that are water-based and linked to the receiving water downstream of the discharge point.
View this information on the Environment Agency here.
If you cannot meet the criteria above, you will need to apply for a bespoke permit. The application should include information on which criteria cannot be filled.
Applying for a permit
Please note that there is charge from the Environment Agency when applying for a permit. This must be paid at the time of application.
The above information has been cited from the Environment Agency website and is intended as a guideline only. Significant pieces of information relating to discharges from sewage treatment plants only are included on this page. For full information please contact your local EA or visit their website. Please note that it is your responsibility to check with the Environment Agency whether you need to obtain a Permit to Discharge.
How to work out the daily volume of domestic effluent:
Take the number of properties (i.e 2) x 2 (i.e 4)
Take the number of bedrooms (i.e 4) (2 in each house)
Take the total of the above sum (which in this case is 8)
To work out the volume of liquid discharged you will take 8 x 150ltrs (150ltrs per person is the excepted use per user) = 1200 ltrs – convert ltrs in cubic metres is divide by 1000 = 1.2 cubic metres
Consent in Scotland
Who needs ‘Consent to Discharge’?
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) recommends that you get in touch with them to discuss your options.
Please click here to find the contact details for your local SEPA office.
How to apply
Contact your local SEPA office prior to submitting an application. Once you are ready to submit an application, this can be done online providing that the population equivalent is 15 or under. Contact your local office if the population equivalent is above this.
Click here to view this information on the SEPA website
Extra information: Existing discharges and consent
If you already have Consent to Discharge this will automatically become an environmental permit. You do not need to re-apply.
If you are discharging 5m3 a day or less from a sewage treatment plant to surface water, you will need register for an exemption, before making a discharge. If you have already made a discharge, you need to register as soon as possible.
If you are already discharging or intending to discharge 2m3 a day or less from a sewage treatment plant to groundwater, you will need to register your discharge by 1st January 2012
Binding Rules and Permits on the environment agency
*The above information has been cited from the Environment Agency website and is intended as a guideline only. Significant pieces of information relating to discharges from sewage treatment plants only are included on this page. For full information please contact your local EA or visit their website. Please note that it is your responsibility to check with the Environment Agency whether you need to obtain a Permit to Discharge
