Regulatory Decision 096: Waste effluent treatment plants - when an environmental permit may not be needed
This Regulatory Decision (RD) is valid until 1 June 2025 by which time it will be reviewed. You should check back at that time to ensure the RD is still valid.
NRW can withdraw or amend this RD before the review date if we consider it necessary. This includes where the activities that this RD relates to have not changed.
Regulatory Decision
This RD applies if you treat waste effluent in an effluent treatment plant without a waste operation or waste installation environmental permit.
You usually need a waste operation or waste installation environmental permit to treat waste effluent. However, if you comply with the conditions in this Regulatory Decision you can treat waste effluent in an effluent treatment plant without a waste operation or waste installation environmental permit.
Examples of waste effluent plants that may be covered by this RD include:
- water treatment works that treat sludge
- closed landfill sites that treat leachate
- small manufacturing sites that do not exceed the threshold for being permitted under the Environmental Permitting Regulations
If you cannot comply with the conditions in this RD, you need to apply for an environmental permit.
Conditions you must comply with
We will not pursue an application for an environmental permit for the activity where:
This RD only applies to waste effluent treatment plants that do not serve any other activity regulated under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 and which are authorised by one of the following:
- a Water Industry Act trade effluent consent
- an Environmental Permitting Regulations Schedule 21 Water Discharge Activity
The waste effluent plant must only be used to treat liquid and wastewater produced on site – you must not import it from other sites.
Enforcement
This RD does not change your legal requirement to have an environmental permit for a waste operation when treating waste effluent in an effluent treatment plant without a waste operation or waste installation environmental permit.
However, NRW will not normally take enforcement action if you do not comply with the need for an environmental permit if you meet the requirements in this RD.
In addition your activity must not cause (or be likely to cause) pollution of the environment or harm to human health, and must not:
- cause a risk to water, air, soil, plants or animals
- cause a nuisance through noise or odours
- adversely affect the countryside or places of special interest