Reference: 1991 c.56
Last Update: 09/01/2012
WATER INDUSTRY ACT 1991, AS AMENDED
This legislation requires effluent discharges to the foul sewer to be authorised.
The Water Industry Act (WIA) regulates the discharge of trade effluent from trade premises to the foul sewer. It is a criminal offence to discharge trade effluent from trade premises into the foul sewer unless a trade effluent consent is obtained from the sewerage undertaker. Consents are normally granted subject to specified conditions. It is a criminal offence under section 121 (5) of the Act to contravene any condition attached to a trade effluent consent.
This Act stringently controls the emissions of special category effluent to sewer. Special Category Effluent, including substances on the UK's Red List of dangerous substances, plus carbon tetrachloride and effluent likely to result in the release of more than 30kg or more of trichloroethylene or perchloroethylene in a year, is defined in the Trade Effluent (Prescribed Processes and Substances) Regulations 1989, as amended. Prescribed processes include manufacturing certain asbestos products, paper pulp manufacture, production of chlorinated organic chemicals, and processes discharging chlorinated effluents.
The sewerage undertaker (Water Company) has a power to vary a trade effluent consent unilaterally by giving two months’ notice to the discharger and may use this power in order to enable it to meet the requirements imposed upon its sewage treatment works by the Regulator under the Water Resources Act 1991.
The Water Industry Act 1999 amends the 1991 Act and outlines the specification for water and sewerage charges in England and Wales and makes provision for the establishment of a water industry commissioner in Scotland. The Water Industry (Special Administration) Rules 2009 applies the Insolvency Act 1986 to water and sewerage suppliers in the event that they go into administration.
THE WATER SUPPLY (AMENDMENT TO THE THRESHOLD REQUIREMENT) REGULATIONS 2011
These Regulations amend the Water Industry Act 1991 so as to reduce the threshold level for water supply to specified premises from 50 megalitres to 5 megalitres. The threshold is the minimum quantity of water estimated to be supplied annually to any premises by a licensed water supplier. A licensed water supplier may not enter into an undertaking with a new customer to supply water to their premises unless the threshold requirement is satisfied.
Last Update: 09/11/2010
By: Waterman
Applicability
Fabricated Examples Ltd has two point source releases to foul sewer; the Detergent Line effluent treatment plant and the Anodising Line effluent treatment plant. The detergent effluent treatment tank also receives discharges from the cooling water system.
Both have discharge consents regulated by Water Company plc. Additionally, these releases are regulated by the Environment Agency through the company’s PPC permit. These discharges run to foul sewer before being treated offsite at a wastewater treatment works.
The company reported that they are within the parameters set by both Water Company plc and the Environment Agency and that the effluent treatment tanks are fitted with continuous monitoring and are alarmed in the event of the releases being out of specification. Previous problems with pH levels were resolved by installing a dosing plant.
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