Septic tanks and sewage treatment plants: what you need to do
Apply for a permit
Only apply for a permit after you have checked:
- your sewage system is not already connected to the mains sewer (the ‘public foul sewer’)
- it is not ‘reasonable’ to connect to the public foul sewer
- your sewage treatment system does not meet the ‘general binding rules’
- you cannot change your system to meet the general binding rules
The Environment Agency will not give you a permit if they think it is reasonable for you to connect to the public foul sewer or if you could meet the general binding rules by making changes to your system.
You’re breaking the law if you operate without a permit when you need to have one.
Read the guidance on ‘Discharges to surface water and groundwater’ to find out when you do not need a permit.
If you discharge sewage to ground
There are different forms depending on whether you’re in a groundwater protection zone (SPZ1) or not.
Outside an SPZ1
If your sewage is both:
- classed as domestic
- a discharge of between 2 and 15 cubic metres per day
You need to fill in part B6.5 of the environmental permit form.
If your sewage is either:
- not classed as domestic
- a discharge of over 15 cubic metres per day
Read the guidance on ‘Discharges to surface water and groundwater’ to find out how to apply for a bespoke permit.
Inside an SPZ1
All sewage discharges within an SPZ1 require a permit.
If you discharge less than 2 cubic metres per day, there are different forms for systems that were installed:
- before 1 January 2015 - fill in part B6.6 of the environmental permit form
- on or after 1 January 2015 - fill in part B6.5 of the environmental permit form
If you discharge more than 2 cubic metres per day, there are different forms depending on how much you discharge. If you:
- discharge between 2 and 15 cubic metres per day - fill in part B6.5 of the environmental permit form
- discharge over 15 cubic metres per day - read the guidance on ‘Discharges to surface water and groundwater’ to find out how to apply for a bespoke permit
If you discharge sewage to a surface water
If your sewage is both:
- classed as domestic
- a discharge between 5 and 20 cubic metres per day
Read the guidance on ‘Discharges to surface water and groundwater’ to check if you can apply for a standard rules permit.
If your sewage is either:
- not classed as domestic
- not eligible for a standard rules permit
You’ll need another kind of permit. There are different forms depending on how much you discharge. If you:
- discharge up to 20 cubic metres - fill in part B6.5 of the environmental permit form
- discharge over 20 cubic metres - read the guidance on ‘Discharges to surface water and groundwater’ to find out how to apply for a bespoke permit
Before you start
You need:
- to find out the 10-figure grid reference for your septic tank or treatment plant and the point where it discharges
- to calculate the largest amount you’re likely to discharge - use the sewage discharges calculator for domestic properties
If you have a commercial property then work out your discharge using British Water’s Flows and Loads guidance document from the British Water website.
Application fees
Your application fee depends on whether your site is:
- a domestic household - includes self-catering and holiday let properties, unless you pay business rates on these
- a charity - either a registered charity or has a HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) charity number
- another type of organisation such as a campsite, pub, shop or holiday let which pays business rates
You’re discharging to ground
The application fee for domestic households and charities to discharge up to 5,000 litres (5 cubic metres) per day is £125.
The fees are different for other organisations.
Size of discharge per day | Fee |
---|---|
Up to 15,000 litres (15 cubic metres) | £2,708 |
Over 15,000 litres (15 cubic metres) | £5,699 |
Any volume that contains specific substances | £6,052 |
You’re discharging to surface water
The application fee for domestic households and charities to discharge up to 5,000 litres (5 cubic metres) per day is £125.
The fees are different for other organisations.
Size of discharge per day | Fee |
---|---|
Up to 5,000 litres (5 cubic metres) | £2,534 |
Between 5,000 litres (5 cubic metres) and 50,000 litres (50 cubic metres) | £4,170 |
Any volume that contains specific substances | £7,649 |
Habitats assessment fee
If you’re applying for a permit in certain protected sites, the Environment Agency might need to carry out a habitats assessment.
Protected sites include:
- a European Site within the meaning of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017
- a site referred to in the National Planning Policy Framework 2018 as requiring the same assessment as a European Site
- a site of special scientific interest within the meaning of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
- a marine conservation zone within the meaning of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009
The habitats assessment fee is £779. You do not need to pay the fee if you discharge less than 5 cubic metres of domestic sewage per day and you are a householder or charity.
Annual fees
There’s an annual subsistence fee for sites that are not domestic households or charities.
Size of discharge per day | Fee |
---|---|
Up to 5,000 litres | £251 |
Between 5,000 litres and 20,000 litres with operator self monitoring | £823 |
Between 5,000 litres and 20,000 litres | £890 |
Between 20,000 litres and 50,000 litres with operator self monitoring | £1,310 |
How long it takes
The Environment Agency will check your application and let you know if you need to send more information.
Once your application is confirmed as complete you should expect it to take at least 4 months to get a decision. The Environment Agency will tell you if your application will take longer.
If your application is refused
If your application is refused, you’ll be told why and how you can appeal.
Complying with your permit
See the guidance on how to comply with your permit, including maintenance, record keeping and pollution reporting requirements.
Get help with your application
If you are sure you need a permit you can ask the Environment Agency for advice before you apply.