Effluents consent conditions

Table 16.16 Typical consent conditions for the discharge of industrial effluent to rivers and streams (UK)...

As discussed in Chapter 17, legislative controls including stringent consent conditions are applied in the UK to all discharges to specified sewers. (Discharge of effluent to surface water drains is prohibited.) Limits, or even total prohibitions, are placed upon certain chemicals to avoid... 

The type of consent conditions imposed, where the effluent represents only a small proportion of the flow in a sewer, are exemplified in Table 16.15. 

Effluents, See also Pollution Trade effluent Waste consent conditions. See Discharge consents control, 529... 

Determinations of phenols in coke oven effluents with special reference to consent conditions. British Coke Research Association Coke Research Report No. 79 June. (1973). 

The Urban Wastewater Treatment Regulations 1994 requires Water Services Companies to exercise tireir powers xmder the Water Industry Act 1991 and to write conditions into trade effluent consents and agreements to control trade effluents, eitirer alone or in combination with other... 

DISCHARGE CONSENTS PeiTuission to discharge trade effluent directly into controlled waters is given by the National Rivers Authority in the form of a discharge consent which will specify amounts and conditions. Discharges to public sewers are controlled by discharge consents by one of the ten Water Service Companies. 

Discharge with the EPA and Agreements with the water companies. Discharges to controlled landfill sites are by agreement with the local waste disposal authority. In all cases the Consents and Agreements will impose conditions on the quantity, rate of discharge and chemical composition of the trade effluents acceptable for discharge. 

However, all of the functions in the formula, excluding the trade effluent functions Ot and Os, are different for each of the water companies and are reviewed annually. Therefore the unit costs of charges vary between the companies. Subject to other commercial considerations, the cost of trade waste charges could influence the water company area in which to locate an industrial plant. The conditions imposed in the Consent to Discharge could influence the location within an area most beneficial to plant location. 

The 1991 Water Resources Act relates to the control of discharges to controlled waters. Section 85(1) states A person contravenes this section if he causes or knowingly permits any poisonous, noxious or polluting matter or any solid waste matter to enter any controlled waters . The Act defines controlled waters and provides for the Secretary of State to establish water-quality objectives and the attainment of these objectives. The Act provides powers to the Environment Agency to prosecute a consent-holder if conditions are breached and to serve a works notice on an offender requiring them to remove or alleviate the pollution. Section 190 of the Act also established registers that include details such as notices of water-quality objectives applications made for consents consents and the conditions to which the consents are subject samples of water or effluent taken by the [Agency] for the purposes of any of the water pollution provisions of this Act and information produced by analyses of those samples. 

The water authority grants consent for discharges and must not withhold a consent unreasonably although it can refuse to place conditions on a consent. Appeal against a water authority s decision may be made to the Secretary of State. The water authority must keep a register of consents and of the analysis of any samples taken. Unless trade secrets are involved, the analysis and register must be made available to the public. Instead of discharging works effluent into natural waters, public sewers may be used subject to water authority conditions. The water authorities also have powers to take action to prevent possible pollution. 

Trade effluent, which is fully defined in the Water Industry Act 1991, is a liquid that is produced in tire course of any trade or industry on trade premises. It does not include domestic sewage or other domestic liquid waste. Waste materials classified as hazardous rmder the special waste regime may be discharged subject to agreement with the Water Service Provider. It is an offence to discharge trade effluent without the formal consent of the Water Services Companies or when in breach of any condition of such a consent. 

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