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Water discharge and groundwater activity environmental permits

How to apply for and comply with environmental permits for surface water discharge activities or groundwater activities.

• From: Environment Agency
• Published: 8 May 2018
• Last updated: 9 February 2022 — See all updates

Guides covering how the Environment Agency sets and assesses compliance for surface water discharge activity and groundwater activity permits for sewage effluent, waste water or trade discharges.

Use these guides when designing and planning your activity and when completing your permit application. The guides include monitoring and operational rules for water companies.

Apply for a permit

• Discharges to surface water and groundwater: environmental permits
  • 21 February 2024
  • Guidance
• Septic tanks and sewage treatment plants: what you need to do
• Comply with septic tank and sewage treatment plant permits
  • 31 December 2014
  • Guidance
• Get advice before you apply for an environmental permit
  • 21 February 2024
  • Guidance

Environmental permit risk assessments

• Reservoir discharges: consents, permits and risk assessments
  • 8 May 2018
  • Guidance
• Surface water pollution risk assessment for your environmental permit
  • 25 February 2022
  • Guidance
• Groundwater risk assessment for your environmental permit
  • 3 April 2018
  • Guidance
• Cemeteries and burials: groundwater risk assessments
  • 2 October 2023
  • Guidance

Treatment, monitoring and permit limits

• Site-specific quality numeric permit limits: discharges to surface water and groundwater
  • 17 January 2019
  • Guidance
• Waste water treatment works: treatment, monitoring and compliance limits
  • 17 January 2019
  • Guidance
• Water companies: operator self monitoring (OSM) environmental permits
  • 8 May 2018
  • Guidance
• Water companies: environmental permits for storm overflows and emergency overflows
  • 13 September 2018
  • Guidance
• Water companies: control of chemicals used for dosing at waste water treatment works
  • 8 May 2018
  • Guidance
• Water companies: water treatment works discharge limits for environmental permits
  • 8 May 2018
  • Guidance

Published 8 May 2018
Last updated 9 February 2022 + show all updates

1. 9 February 2022

   Added links to the guidance: 'Septic tanks and sewage treatment plants: what you need to do', 'Comply with septic tank and sewage treatment plant permits' and 'Get advice before you apply for an environmental permit'.

2. 8 May 2018

   First published.