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Emissions to Water
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Recycling - Emissions to Water
There is the potential for rainwater runoff at your site to become contaminated in areas where appliances or components are stored, stripped, dismantled, crushed or baled. Any contaminated water that flows over the ground, through the soil, or enters surface water drains has the potential to pollute surface waters or ground waters in the vicinity of your site. Surface waters or ground waters include streams, rivers, lakes and groundwater.
Water entering surface waters or ground waters must not be contaminated with anything from your site. If, as a result of your activities, any poisonous, noxious or polluting matter enters surface waters or ground waters, you may be committing an offence.
Guidelines
If you discharge any sewage, effluent or contaminated run off to surface waters or groundwater you must have prior written authorisation from your Environmental Regulator in the form of a discharge consent or other appropriate authorisation. For further information, use the links below.
Pollution of Surface Waters and Groundwater
PPG01 General guide to water pollution prevention (Acrobat, 98KB, 1 min)
If you discharge any effluents to a public sewer you must have, and comply with, either prior written authorisation from the Statutory Sewerage Undertaker in the form of a trade effluent consent or have entered into a ëTrade Effluent Agreementí with the Statutory Sewerage Undertaker. For further information, use the links below.
Trade Effluent
PPG11 Preventing pollution at industrial sites (Acrobat, 130 Kb, 1 min)
UK Water Companies and Authorities
Have a Pollution Incident Response Procedure for dealing with spillages and use it in conjunction with your drainage plan. Ensure that all staff on site are aware of the procedure and how to implement it. Report incidents as soon as they happen to the incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60. Use the link below for further information.
PPG03: Use and design of oil separators (Acrobat, 104 Kb, 1 min)
Ensure that all oils, fuels and chemicals have been removed from appliances or components before they are stored, dismantled, crushed or baled.
Remember that interceptors are only designed to remove some oils and fuels from water; they do not remove other pollutants e.g. heavy fuel oils, chemicals or dust. If you allow any such pollutants to enter surface waters or ground waters via the interceptor, you may be committing an offence.
Remember that all the interceptors on your site need to be regularly maintained. Maintenance should include inspection and removal of the accumulated oil as necessary and removal of the sludge from the bottom of the tank; this sludge may need to be disposed of as Hazardous/Special Waste. Interceptors should always be left partially full of water after cleaning, to ensure that they continue to work effectively.
Hazardous/Special Waste
Carry out cleaning and degreasing activities in designated washbay areas and not on ground which discharges to surface water drains, watercourses or soakaways. A water recycling system can reduce water use and associated costs. The washbay should be impermeable and isolated by a raised kerb, with the effluent directed to foul sewer or a sealed sump. Never direct the drainage from these areas through an oil interceptor, as the oil will be emulsified and washed out of the interceptor.
Never use degreasers or steam cleaners to clean yard and forecourt areas unless the area drains to a foul sewer rather than a surface water drain and you have permission to discharge the waste water. Never put the degreasing or steam cleaning drainage through an oil interceptor, as the oil will be emulsified and washed out of the interceptor.
Make sure you have an up to date and accurate drainage plan available at all times. This will identify the locations of all existing drains and sewers in and around your site, and where they lead. When connecting a discharge to a drain or sewer, always check that you are connecting to the correct system; all trade effluent and sewage to the foul sewer, and only clean uncontaminated surface water to the surface water drainage system.
Paint drainage system manhole covers, gullies and grills on site in a recognised colour coding system (blue for surface water drains and red for foul water drains). This will help you to identify where any discharge or spillage will end up. Click on the link below for further information.
PPG01 General guide to water pollution prevention (Acrobat, 98KB, 1 min)
Consider collecting rainwater from your roof. This will minimise the amount of potentially contaminated runoff from your site. This water could be used for damping down dusty areas in periods of dry weather.
Note that in some areas, groundwater (water below the soil surface in the saturation zone) is particularly vulnerable. This may be because water is extracted for public water supply or because the groundwater table is linked to a wetland, lake or river.
In England and Wales, Source Protection Zones (SPZ) have been defined where groundwater is extracted from boreholes or springs for pubic water supply. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, extraction for public water supply is rare and SPZís have not been defined to date. SEPA intends to designate vulnerable groundwater zones in the near future.
In Scotland and Northern Ireland, contact your Environmental Regulator or Scottish Water for advice and to find out if you are in an area where groundwater is vulnerable.
In England and Wales, to find out whether you are in an SPZ and if so, how it affects you, see the Environment Agencyís web site under ìWhatís in my Backyard?î.
IMPORTANT LEGAL NOTE
NetRegs contains simplified guidance based on complex and changing legislation, and does not constitute legal advice. Whilst we endeavour to keep it up to date, we cannot be held liable for errors and omissions; compliance with the law remains the user's responsibility. If you have concerns over compliance, you must seek professional advice, or contact your regulator or local authority.
The Data has not been prepared to meet your or anyone else's individual requirements so it is your responsibility to ensure that the Data meets your needs
We cannot ensure and therefore give no promise that the Data on this web site will always be accurate, complete, up to date or valid but we will use reasonable care to ensure that it is an accurate copy of the Data
© Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2006. All rights reserved
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