Guidance

Using wetlands to improve treated effluent discharge: RPS 260

Environment Agency regulatory position on wetlands, operated by parties other than water and sewerage companies, that receive treated final effluent discharge.

• From: Environment Agency
• Published: 29 November 2022
• Last updated: 26 February 2026
  Show all updates

  1. 26 February 2026

     We have added waste installation and water discharge activity permits to the RPS. We have also extended the RPS to cover pumping stations if operated as part of the waste operation and waste installation.

  2. 7 August 2025

     We have added the requirement to monitor for orthophosphate, temperature and dissolved oxygen. This RPS has been extended to 31 August 2027 to allow more data on nutrient treatment wetlands to be gathered.

  3. 29 November 2022

     First published.

Applies to England

Documents

Using wetlands to improve treated effluent discharge: RPS 260

HTML

Details

This regulatory position statement (RPS) does not change your legal requirement to get an environmental permit for a waste operation, a waste installation or water discharge activity when you use a nutrient treatment wetland to improve the quality of treated final effluent discharged from a water and sewerage company wastewater treatment works.

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

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

This RPS does not apply to water and sewerage companies.

This RPS is for parties other than water and sewerage companies who operate wetlands that receive treated final effluent discharged from water and sewerage company sewage treatment works.