Open consultation

Environmental permitting: standard rules consultation 32

From:
Environment Agency
Published
1 October 2025

Applies to England

Summary

We want your views on 3 proposed standard rules permits to cover small sewage discharge activities that are currently regulated using bespoke permits.

This consultation is being held on another website.

This consultation closes at

Consultation description

The consultation document sets out 3 standard rules and the supporting generic risk assessments. They cover:

  • discharges of treated sewage effluent to ground of more than 2 cubic metres per day but not more than 5 cubic metres per day (SR2025 No 5)
  • discharges of treated sewage effluent to ground of no greater than 1.5 cubic metres per day which are discharged using a shallow drainage system that does not conform to the British Standard, and which are replacing an existing discharge to surface water or to ground (SR2025 No 6)
  • discharges of treated sewage effluent to surface water which achieve secondary treatment using equipment that does not conform to the British Standard or where the receiving watercourse does not always have flow, or both (SR2025 No 7)

Updates to this page

Published 1 October 2025

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