Discharge Permit For Effluent Plants

If you want to install an effluent treatment plant, you may need a discharge permit. The treatment plant might, for example, deal with a trade effluent or domestic sewage effluent.

Depending on the receiving groundwater or river therefore your permit will have conditions attached. These usually include the following parameters for example:

pH

Suspended Solids

Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)

Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)

Ammoniacal Nitrogen

Other substances likewise used in your industrial treatment processes.

Volume

Flow rate

The process for obtaining an environmental discharge permit is similar to other permits. It involves an application to the Environment Agency. You will need to provide several supporting surveys. Your discharge should not impact the river or groundwater.

Environmental Permits will take several months to be processed. There is no guarantee however, that your request will be granted. You will have to prepare a groundwater risk assessment if you wish to discharge to a drainage filed or a soakaway.

Above all your treatment plant must be capable of delivering a high quality effluent. The effluent must meet the limits imposed by the permit and routing sampling will probably be necessary.

Subsequently once a discharge permit has been granted. it is a legally binding document that you must meet if you are not to be threatened with potential legal action.

The types of organisation needing permits to discharge therefore are for example:

Food factories

Sewage plants

Cooling water and industrial effluent

Small package plants

Septic tanks

Residential housing for example not on a foul sewer

In conclusion, if you discharge any liquid to a river or soakway therefore, you will probably need a permit. Contact us for more information.