Guidance

Treating and using water that contains concrete and silt at construction sites: RPS 235

Updated 20 November 2020

Applies to England

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/treating-and-using-water-that-contains-concrete-and-silt-at-construction-sites-rps-235/treating-and-using-water-that-contains-concrete-and-silt-at-construction-sites-rps-235

If you comply with the conditions in this regulatory position statement (RPS) you do not need an environmental permit for a waste operation for treating or using waste water that contains concrete and silt.

This RPS allows you to:

  • store and treat water that contains concrete and silt, within the construction site, before use
  • use treated water that contains concrete for washing equipment or mixing concrete
  • use treated water that contains silt produced from washing equipment for washing equipment or damping down haul roads

This RPS does not apply to any other activity, even if it is under the same legislation. You may still need other permits or licences for other activities you carry out.

Conditions you must comply with

You can only treat water by:

  • settlement or physical dewatering (or both), for example in a settlement tank or silt press
  • correcting the pH before you discharge to a foul sewer, subject to the sewerage undertaker’s consent
  • using agents to solidify water that contains concrete or silt from the site

You must not use any other chemicals or flocculants.

You must not:

  • store more than 30m3 of water containing concrete or silt at any time in any single location on the construction site
  • carry out activities associated with treating or using water that contains concrete or silt within 10m of any watercourse

  • carry out activities associated with treating or using water that contains concrete or silt within less than 50m of:

    • Sites of Special Scientific Interest
    • Special Areas of Conservation (SACs)
    • Special Protection Areas (SPAs)
    • candidate SACs, possible SACs, potential SPAs and sites of community importance
    • Ramsar sites
    • other nature conservation sites, such as ancient woodlands and local and national nature reserves – check the map
    • local wildlife sites
  • use any water that contains concrete to suppress dust
  • use more water than necessary to suppress dust
  • use treated waste water to suppress dust within a groundwater source protection 1, or within 50m of a private drinking water supply
  • use water from excavations at sites contaminated by oil, metals, hydrocarbons, solvents, pesticides or other polluting substances
  • cause runoff from the treatment or use of water into any surface water drains, surface waters or groundwater

You must:

  • follow a method statement which minimises the risk of pollution
  • contain all waters before treatment and use, for example in a settling tank or lined lagoon
  • comply with your waste environmental permit or exemption if you want to use dried concrete and silt fines

You can discharge:

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 RPS means that the Environment Agency will not normally take enforcement action against you for operating without a permit for a waste operation provided:

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

When to check back

This RPS will be reviewed by 1 July 2022. You will need to check back then to see if it still applies or if you need to apply for a permit.

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.

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