Guidance

Dewatering and depositing silts from sustainable drainage systems (SUDS) on land: RPS 55

Environment Agency enforcement position on when you can dewater and deposit silt from SUDS without an environmental permit.

• From: Environment Agency
• Published: 27 March 2014
• Last updated: 16 December 2025
  Show all updates

  1. 16 December 2025

     Updated the RPS to the latest template and extended the review date to 30 November 2028.

  2. 5 January 2023

     Updated the expiry date to 30 November 2025. Updated the conditions, which includes also referring to groundwater activity permitting as well as waste operations.

  3. 17 January 2020

     We have updated this regulatory position statement to exclude SUDS that collect surface water drainage from high risk areas, including refuse sites, industrial sites, loading bays, lorry parks and highways. We have also extended the review date until 30 November 2022.

  4. 27 March 2014

     First published.

Applies to England

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Dewatering and depositing silts from sustainable drainage systems (SUDS) on land: RPS 55

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This regulatory position statement (RPS) does not change your legal requirement to:

• have an environmental permit for a waste operation or a groundwater activity where one is required
• register an activity as exempt where you are required to do so

However, the Environment Agency will not normally take enforcement action if you do not comply with these legal requirements if you meet the requirements in this RPS.

This regulatory position does not apply to any other legal requirements.