Guidance

Storing chemical toilet waste: RPS 277

Updated 8 May 2025

Applies to England

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/storing-and-treating-chemical-toilet-waste-rps-277/storing-and-treating-chemical-toilet-waste-rps-277

This regulatory position statement (RPS) does not change your legal requirement to get an environmental permit for a waste operation when you store chemical toilet waste and other sewage related wastes.

However, the Environment Agency will not normally take enforcement action if you do not comply with this legal requirement provided that:

  • your activity meets the description set out in this RPS

  • you comply with the conditions set out in this RPS

In addition your activity must not cause (or be likely to cause) pollution of the environment or harm to human health, and 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

Activity this RPS applies to

This RPS applies to the temporary storage of:

  • chemical toilet waste, cess waste and septic tank waste at a location controlled by the portable toilet hire business or tanker operator

  • sewage effluent at a marina or lock site

  • chemical toilet waste, cess waste and septic tank waste at a waste water treatment works (WWTW), followed by discharge into that WWTW

Conditions you must comply with

You must:

  • only store chemical toilet waste, cess and septic tank waste collected by the operator of the portable toilet hire business or tanker operator as part of their business, at a place controlled by them

  • only store sewage effluent from boats using that marina or lock site

  • keep the waste in secure containers

  • keep records for 2 years from the date of the last use of the RPS to show that you have complied with this RPS and make these records available to the Environment Agency on request

You must not store:

  • hazardous waste

  • chemical toilet waste containing formaldehyde

  • more than 60 cubic metres of waste at any one time

  • any waste for more than 3 months

Activity 2. Accepting, storing and discharging chemical toilet waste at a WWTW

You must:

  • only receive chemical toilet waste with the waste code 16 10 02 and description

  • only receive and store chemical toilet waste in areas which have an impermeable surface with sealed drainage

  • discharge chemical toilet waste into a WWTW for treatment 

  • keep records for 2 years from the date of the last use of the RPS to show that you have complied with this RPS and make these records available to the Environment Agency on request

You must not accept chemical toilet waste that:

  • is hazardous

  • contains formaldehyde

  • is mixed with other wastes

Things to note

Secure means that the waste cannot escape, and unauthorised people cannot access it.

Containers should be constructed, inspected and maintained in line with the guidance on pollution prevention for businesses.

For Activity 1 only, this RPS relates to an activity that the Environment Agency considers is potentially suitable to be an exemption under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016. A change in law would be required for this. 

The Environment Agency is currently developing a standard rules permit for the discharge of tankered liquid wastes into WWTW. The RPS is needed until a standard rules permit is available for operators to apply for. The standard rules will cover Activity 2 of this RPS.

When you must check back

The Environment Agency will review this RPS by 31 March 2028.

The Environment Agency can withdraw or amend this regulatory position before the review date if they consider it necessary. This includes where the activity that this RPS relates to has not changed.

You will need to check back from time to time, including at and before the review date, to see if this RPS still applies.

This RPS remains in force until it is removed from GOV.UK or is otherwise identified as having been withdrawn.

You can subscribe to email updates about this RPS. These will tell you if the RPS has changed and when it has been withdrawn.

If you cannot comply with this RPS

If you operate under this RPS but can no longer comply with it, you must:

Contact the Environment Agency

If you have any questions about this RPS email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk and put RPS 277 in the subject.

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