Protecting sewerage and drainage
It is an offence to discharge polluting material into a sewer without a consent, see Drainage and sewer systems for more information. This is because polluting material can:
- Affect the sewage treatment process at a STW resulting in partially treated or untreated sewage entering the water environment
- Pass through a STW unaltered and enter the water environment
Sewage undertakers must therefore be:
- Informed of all accidental discharges of polluting materials into sewers
- Asked for permission before a deliberate discharge can take place, for instance to divert fire water run-off away from the water environment. Details on the arrangements that should be followed to do this are contained in the Protocol for the disposal of contaminated water and associated wastes at incidents.
In Northern Ireland, and further to the notification protocols set out in the MoU between the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency will ensure that Northern Ireland Water Limited is informed about any material that will significantly affect the sewerage infrastructure in the event of any pollutant detailed in Article 168 of the Water and Sewerage Services