Consultation on Environmental Permitting Guidance - Technical guidance for the registration of small sewage effluent discharges

• Small discharges of domestic sewage effluent

Please note: the document is currently in draft, until Defra publishes its final version.

Background information

Small sewage treatment plants and septic tanks can be used to treat sewage effluent from homes or small communities where connection to the public or other foul sewer is not possible. If correctly located, designed and installed, these systems may provide many years of service, but must be properly maintained to reduce the risk of pollution.

From April 2010, the Environmental Permitting Regulations will allow us to register exemptions for discharges that represent a low risk to the environment due to their location and volume, provided they are maintained and serviced to an appropriate standard to prevent pollution.

Exemptions are quicker and easier to apply for than bespoke permits and need less detailed assessment. They will help us make sure that all works and equipment used for the treatment of domestic sewage effluent have been designed, sited, and maintained, without the need for a full environmental permit.

Our technical guidance compliments the government guidance on the registration of these discharges.

What does this guidance mean to you?

The technical guidance contained in this document is primarily applicable to manufacturers, installers and maintenance engineers and others involved in siting, design and maintenance of discharges.

The guidance may be of interest to occupiers, who are required to register their discharge under Schedule 2 and 3 of the Environmental Permitting Regulations, although a summary guide for occupiers will be produced to support the registration of small discharges .

These documents will also be relevant to those who have a responsibility for the operation and management of discharges from septic tanks and sewage treatment plants.

Consultation document

• Consultation on technical guidance for the registration of small discharges of sewage effluent (PDF, 296KB)

What happens next?

We will use your comments to help shape the technical guidance. We will consider all responses before publishing the technical guidance in 2010.

If you provided us with an email address, we will acknowledge your response and send you a summary of responses after the consultation has closed.

More information

The Environmental Permitting Regulations are part of the Environmental Permitting Programme, our joint project with Defra, the Department for Energy and Climate Change and the Welsh Assembly Government. It aims to reduce administrative burdens while maintaining standards of environmental protection.

For more information look on Defra's Environmental Permitting Programme web pages:

• Defra's Environmental Permitting Programme