Animal burials: prevent groundwater pollution
How to manage the burial of animal remains to prevent or limit groundwater pollution.
Applies to England
Burials must not pollute groundwater. Animal burials in large enough numbers can cause a risk of pollution to groundwater. This also applies if the burial site is in a sensitive or vulnerable area. You must consider what measures are appropriate to prevent or limit pollution, given the sensitivity of the location and the risks posed.
The Environment Agency’s groundwater position statements explain government policy on the burial of animal remains.
Types of animal burials
Different rules apply for:
- domestic pets
- pet cemeteries
- livestock and wild game
If you’re burying wild animals (except wild game) you must follow the minimum good practice groundwater protection requirements.
Domestic pets
You do not need permission to bury domestic pets.
You can bury small domestic pet animals such as a dog or a cat on your own land, for example in your back garden. There are no minimum good practice groundwater protection requirements.
If you want to bury a larger pet animal such as a pet horse, follow the minimum good practice groundwater protection requirements.
For these larger pet burials, contact your local council’s animal health office. Your local council may ask for a map marking the burial place or they may have other requirements.
Pet cemeteries
Owners and managers of pet cemeteries should comply with:
- minimum good practice groundwater protection requirements
- the Animal By-products (Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2013
- the voluntary code of practice of the Association of Private Pet Cemeteries and Crematoria
You must also register your pet cemetery with the Animal and Plant Health Agency. Find out where you can build pet cemeteries and how to register them.
Livestock and wild game
You must not bury on-site any animal kept as livestock or that’s wild game. This includes animals at farms, zoos and similar places. You can dispose of them by:
- commercial incineration and rendering
- landfill – the site must have the correct environmental permit for animal carcasses
Under normal circumstances, burying fallen stock is not allowed under the Animal By-products (Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2013. A relaxation from this rule (a ‘derogation’) applies in the Isles of Scilly.
Find out the rules on burying or burning fallen stock so you can safely dispose of dead animals.
Minimum good practice groundwater protection requirements
A burial site should be:
- outside a source protection zone 1 (SPZ1)
- at least 250 metres from any well, borehole or spring supplying water for human consumption or used in food production – for example at farm dairies
- at least 30 metres from any spring or watercourse not used for human consumption, or not used in food production
- at least 10 metres from any field drain, including dry ditches
There are different rules for:
- burials of a larger domestic pet animal (for example a horse) – the minimum distance is 50 metres from any well, borehole or spring supplying water for human consumption, or used in food production purposes, including private water supplies
- home burials of small domestic pets – there are no minimum good practice groundwater protection requirements
- mass emergency animal burials with a risk of disease carried by groundwater – the exclusion zone may extend to source protection zone 2 (SPZ2)
All animal burial places should:
- have at least 1 metre clearance between the base of the burial hole and the top of the water table – they should not have any standing water in them when dug
- be deep enough so at least 1 metre of soil will cover the top of the animal carcass
You should not dig a burial hole in:
- unaltered or unweathered bedrock (buried or exposed solid rock that has not been altered by physical or chemical reactions, such as exposure to the weather)
- areas at risk of groundwater flooding – this is when the water table beneath the ground rises and causes water to seep out at ground level (it is often seasonal)
The Environment Agency can take action if large numbers of burials, either as a single event or over a period of time, affect or could affect groundwater quality.
Burials can result in the discharge of hazardous substances and non-hazardous pollutants to groundwater. They are therefore covered by the requirements of the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2016 and Water Environment Regulations 2017.
The Environment Agency may serve a works notice under section 161A of the Water Resources Act 1991 and the Anti-Pollution Works Regulations 1999 to prevent or seek remedial action for the pollution of controlled waters.
As well as meeting the requirements in this guide, you may need to monitor groundwater before burying animal remains. Find out what you need to monitor in the cemeteries and burials groundwater risk assessment guidance.
Burials below the water table
Burials must not cause pollution. They should not take place below the water table. Burials below the water table affect the ground’s natural ability to reduce the concentration of pollutants (known as the attenuation of pollutants). There must be no direct input of pollutants to groundwater.
When there is a risk that a burial may take place below the water table on a site, you may need to take measures to control groundwater levels.
You must collect any artificially drained groundwater, treat it as contaminated, and dispose of it as foul water. You should contact your local sewerage provider to get permission to discharge to mains foul drainage. If this is not possible, you may need to consider tanking it away for off-site disposal or applying for an environmental permit to discharge to the environment.
Until there is more information about the effect of any new method for managing burials close to, or below, the water table, the Environment Agency will want to see:
- a groundwater hydrogeological assessment of present and future risks
- plans for continued checks of the site including long-term monitoring
Disposal of ashes
You do not need permission to scatter or bury ashes from a single pet cremation on your own land, or make any formal record of doing so. You should get permission from the landowner if you want to scatter or bury ashes on someone else’s land.
If you scatter ashes across surface waters, such as a river, you should:
- make sure the effect on the environment and wildlife is minimal and it will not affect other watercourse users
- not scatter any memorabilia or other items, as they may harm the environment and wildlife
Find out if you need a permit to bury or spread ash at pet cemeteries.
Animal burials in emergencies
The government may relax the laws preventing the on-site burial of animals kept as livestock and wild game during extreme events. For example, during a widespread outbreak of foot and mouth disease or another national animal disease incident. You must consider the risk to groundwater – the minimum good practice groundwater protection requirements still apply.
Emergency conditions and time pressures may mean only quick, simple risk assessments are possible. This limits burial permissions. Farm managers must have no other means available for disposal before considering burial. The Environment Agency will make the final decision about whether a burial site can go ahead.
Animal burials: pollution risk
The potential for disease transmission may mean the burial exclusion zone applies to both SPZ1 and SPZ2. The risk of pollution is site-specific and depends on a number of issues.
Animal carcass type and number
Large volumes of carcasses pose a greater hazard, especially in areas:
- on principal aquifers
- close to a well, spring or borehole where the groundwater is used, for example, for drinking water (known as groundwater abstractions)
You may have to take the carcasses to existing landfill sites with permits to handle animal waste. You should get advice from the Environment Agency in these situations.
Risk of contamination and spread of pathogens
If this is a concern, you must limit using groundwater for drinking water, food production purposes and livestock watering.
Burial method and proposed site
Burial in unlined pits under emergency conditions will affect groundwater quality. It is unlikely to be acceptable in the majority of situations and you should get advice from the Environment Agency before considering this option.
Surrounding geology
Areas with soils and strata that allow water and contaminants to pass quickly through them (known as permeable deposits) may result in a greater risk to the underlying groundwater. In areas of low permeability there is a higher risk that contaminated water will build up and become a hazard to surface water.
Depth to the water table
You should allow for any potential rise in the water table. You must not directly input hazardous substances ) into groundwater and you must limit the input of non-hazardous pollutants to avoid pollution.
Current and potential use of groundwater
As well as the risk to any current use of groundwater, over time, the burial is likely to remain an active source of contamination, so this may limit future use of groundwater. You need to avoid causing pollution to groundwater resources in future.
Emergency animal burial by weight
There are different requirements for the emergency burial of animal carcasses. These are based on weight.
Less than 2 tonnes
You do not need permission from the Environment Agency for burials of less than 2 tonnes, but you should follow the minimum good practice groundwater protection requirements.
You can carry out more than 1 burial a year, providing:
- no single burial exceeds 2 tonnes
- the burial sites are at least 500 metres apart
- the total weight of all carcasses buried is no more than 8 tonnes
Between 2 and 8 tonnes
Contact your local Environment Agency office for burials between 2 and 8 tonnes. They will work with you to:
- assess the risk of groundwater pollution
- assess the risk to any other water receptors like nearby rivers or drinking water abstractions
- decide if burial is safe
- advise if you need an environmental permit before you carry out burials
Over 8 tonnes
You must have an environmental permit before burying animal carcasses over 8 tonnes. Contact your local Environment Agency office more information.
If the burials exceed 50 tonnes you will also need to show comprehensive plans for engineered containment and site management during and after burial.
For more information on emergency burials read Section M of the groundwater protection position statements.
You may have to follow the groundwater monitoring rules for animal carcass burials.
Contact the Environment Agency
General enquiries
National Customer Contact Centre
PO Box 544
Rotherham
S60 1BY
Email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk
Telephone 03708 506 506
Telephone from outside the UK (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm GMT) +44 (0) 114 282 5312
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.