Guidance

Recovery of wastewater containing soils from pipe-laying excavations: LRWP 46

Updated 21 September 2020

Applies to England

This low risk waste position (LRWP) applies if you recover wastewater containing soils from pipe-laying excavations.

If you follow the conditions in this LRWP you can carry out the activity without an environmental permit for a waste operation.

Conditions you must comply with:

You must:

  • only store and recover the waste in a purpose built sealed unit
  • only recover wastewater containing non-hazardous soils from excavations of land that are not contaminated (List of Waste code 16 10 02)
  • not treat more than 5,000 cubic metres over any 12 month period
  • only use lubricant in the drilling process that is non-hazardous - you must not exceed 0.01% within the wastewater

You must make sure your activities do not endanger human health or the environment.

You must not:

  • cause a risk to water, air, soil, plants or animals
  • cause a nuisance through noise or odours
  • adversely affect the countryside or places of special interest

Enforcement

A LRWP means that the Environment Agency will not normally take enforcement action against you provided:

  • your activity meets the description set out in this LRWP
  • you comply with the conditions set out in this LRWP
  • your activity does not, and is not likely to, cause environmental pollution or harm human health

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.