Environmental legislation Northern Ireland

Water is our most valuable resource, but unfortunately, it is wasted and polluted on a daily basis. With a continued growing demand, and continued declining availability, it is essential that we manage our water resources properly, regulate wastewater disposal correctly and treat our water with respect.

Tricel products are manufactured to eliminate the threat of pollution to our water resources. Each Tricel sewage treatment plant achieves a highly efficient and effective wastewater treatment result. All plant units are certified exceeding regulators’ requirements, ensuring you that we are helping you to safeguard our environment, protecting our future and your home.

Northern Ireland Environmental Agency (NIEA)

The environmental legislation in Northern Ireland regarding sewage treatment systems and their discharge is regulated by the Northern Ireland Environmental Agency (NIEA).

Since January 2015, all households, not connected to the mains sewer, MUST apply for a consent to discharge with the NIEA to install a new septic tank or wastewater treatment plant. You must also possess planning permission as well as building control approval along with the required consent to discharge form (W02).

Consent to discharge – what you need to know

• Consent to discharge is the responsibility of the homeowner.
• It is mandatory to have, even if your septic tank or wastewater treatment plant was installed before January 1, 2015.
• Three options are available:

1. Connect to the mains sewer (if available within 30m) – this is the preferred option.
2. Discharge to soakaway from a septic tank/sewage treatment plant, depending on ground conditions – a percolation test is needed.
3. Only if neither of the two options above are feasible, can discharge to a waterway then be considered from a 97.5% BOD or greater sewage treatment plant. – no percolation test is needed.

Need more information, view our guide to consent to discharge.

British water flows & loads

Choosing the correct size solution and right suitability for your needs is crucially essential when selecting your septic tank or sewage treatment plant. Undersized or unsuitable systems will be not only non-compliant but also unfit for proper use. Poorly chosen systems are unreliable and ineffective leading to reduced desludging periods, increased costs. All this ultimately causes you unnecessary nuisance and annoyance.

Depawater will help you choose the right Tricel product for your requirements. By using the British water approved guidance for flows and loadings, you can be sure that the septic tank or sewage treatment plant provided to you by Depawater will be precisely what you need. We offer the perfect solution, allowing you or your business to get on with your daily duties with confidence.

Checking if you are compliant with the environmental legislation in Northern Ireland.

We, at Depawater, are here to help and provide guidance regarding your sewage treatment needs. We have put together a checklist which can be used as a base to check if you are compliant or non-compliant with the NIEA standards:

• Has the NIEA contacted you regarding non-compliance?
• Do you discharge wastewater directly into a waterway and haven’t got a consent to discharge?
• Is your existing wastewater treatment system defective (leaking, bad odours, blockages or flooding)?
• Are you buying or selling a house not connected to the mains and haven’t got an up to date consent to discharge approval?
• Building a new home and need a mortgage and haven’t applied for consent to discharge?

Contact us if the answer is YES to any of the above.