Guidance

Storing treated sewage sludge you cannot move because of COVID-19 restrictions: RPS C6

When sewerage companies can store treated sewage sludge they cannot send for use on agricultural land due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) restrictions.

From:
Environment Agency
Published
16 April 2020
Last updated
22 June 2020 — See all updates

This publication was withdrawn on

This document has been withdrawn because it has expired.

Applies to England

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Storing treated sewage sludge you cannot move because of COVID-19 restrictions: RPS C6

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You usually need an environmental permit or exemption to store treated sludge. Normally, if you supply dewatered treated sludge to farmers to beneficially spread on agricultural land, they would store it using a S3 waste exemption.

If sewerage companies follow the conditions in this COVID-19 regulatory position statement (RPS) they can store dewatered treated sludge not at the place it will be used, without an environmental permit.

This COVID-19 RPS only applies to treated sludge as described in the Sludge Use in Agriculture Regulations. It does not apply to septic tank sludge (which can go to a sewage works) and waste containing sewage sludge (which is covered by the Environmental Permitting Regulations).

You must get written agreement from your Environment Agency water company account manager before you use this COVID-19 RPS.

Published 16 April 2020
Last updated 22 June 2020 + show all updates

  1. The expiry date has been extended to 30 September 2020.

  2. Under ‘Conditions you must comply with’ we have added the storage quantity limit of 3,000 tonnes in a location at any one time. This was omitted in error.

  3. First published.

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