Permit & Application Support
Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations
Streamlining and consolidating environmental legislation
The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations were established to streamline and consolidate existing environmental legislation. These regulations were created to simplify the permitting process for various environmental activities, ensuring consistent protection of air, water, and land. They are a merging of multiple regulatory frameworks into a single system, making it easier for businesses and regulators to manage and comply with environmental requirements. This comprehensive approach aims to enhance environmental protection while reducing administrative burdens.
Environmental Permitting
The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations set out the rules for managing various environmental impacts, including water.
- The regulations require businesses and individuals to obtain permits for activities that could harm water bodies, such as rivers, lakes, and groundwater.
Key points include:
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Permits for Water Discharge: Any discharge of pollutants into water bodies, like industrial effluents or sewage, must be regulated. This ensures that harmful substances do not enter and degrade water quality.
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Regulating Water Abstraction: The regulations control the removal of water from natural sources to ensure sustainable use and protect aquatic ecosystems. Businesses and farmers must obtain permits to abstract water for use in their operations.
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Groundwater Protection: Activities that could contaminate groundwater, such as certain agricultural practices or industrial processes, are closely monitored. Permits ensure that any potential risks to groundwater quality are managed effectively.
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Compliance and Enforcement: Regular monitoring and inspections are conducted to ensure compliance with permit conditions. Penalties are imposed for violations, ensuring that water protection standards are upheld.
The regulations are designed to safeguard water resources, ensuring they remain clean and available for current and future generations.
Trade Effluent
Legal obligations for food & beverage manufacturers
In the UK, trade effluent refers to any liquid waste, other than domestic sewage, that is discharged from a business or industrial process into public sewers. This includes wastewater from manufacturing & food processing. Trade effluent can contain a variety of contaminants, such as chemicals, oils, fats, and solids, which can impact sewer systems and the environment if not properly managed. Businesses must obtain consent from their local water authority to discharge trade effluent, ensuring that it meets specific quality and quantity standards to protect public health and the environment.
ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS
Trade Effluent FAQs
To apply for trade effluent consent, you will typically need to speak with your water retailer or relevant water company. You’ll need to provide details about your business, the nature of the effluent, and the volumes discharged. The water company will assess the information and set conditions to ensure compliance with regulations. MSA frequently liaise with the water retailers/ companies on behalf of clients.
Regulations require businesses to obtain consent from their local water authority before discharging trade effluent into public sewers. Consent conditions typically cover effluent quality, volume, and discharge times to protect the sewer system and environment.
Costs vary depending on the volume and composition of the effluent, and the treatment required. Charges are usually based on the Mogden formula, which considers the strength and volume of the effluent. Additional costs may include consent application fees and compliance monitoring.
Trade effluent can include a wide range of substances, such as chemicals, oils, fats, detergents, solids, and food residues. Any liquid waste from industrial or commercial activities that enters the public sewer system is classified as trade effluent.
Most trade effluent discharge consents require the the producer to measure and monitor trade effluent by installing flow meters and sometimes sampling equipment. Regular testing for pollutants such as pH, suspended solids, and chemical oxygen demand (COD) is common on many sites with consents to ensure compliance with consent conditions.Â
Penalties for illegal trade effluent discharge can include fines, prosecution, and costs for damage remediation. Non-compliance can also lead to revoked consent, operational disruptions and reputational harm to your business.Â
To reduce trade effluent charges, the most cost-effective measure is to minimise waste generation at source. Following elimination and reduction, appropriate treatment selection can ensure compliance whilst balancing treatment costs and reilabilty.
Treatment is not always necessary. However, for applications requiring treatment common operations include physical, chemical, and biological processes. Methods include balancing, filtration, sedimentation, chemical neutralisation, and aerobic or anaerobic digestion. The choice of treatment depends on the effluent composition and consent requirements.