Regulation of Discharges

Under the Water (Northern Ireland) Order 1999, the consent of the Department of Environment is required to discharge any trade or sewage effluent or any other potentially polluting matter (including site drainage liable to contamination) from commercial, industrial or domestic premises to waterways or underground strata.

Domestic Consents Section

A consent to discharge effluent from a single domestic property is granted on behalf of the Department, by the Domestic Consents Section, subject to the recommendations made by local field staff.

A discharge consent will include conditions relating to the quality and quantity of the effluent discharge. The conditions are formulated to ensure that the receiving waterway or the underground stratum, if it is to a soakaway, can sustain the discharge.

Industrial Consents Section

The Industrial Consents Section comprises a team of professional scientists and administrative staff who deal with new applications for commercial and industrial discharge consents.

The discharge consents include conditions relating to the quality and quantity of effluent discharges. The conditions are formulated to ensure that the discharge can be sustained by the receiving waterway without compromising the quality of the aquatic environment or breaching national or European Commission (EC) standards.

The Industrial Consents Section is involved in assessing the compliance of existing consented discharges and visiting sites to deal with compliance issues.

Registers of discharge consents are held by us and these are open to public inspection. The results of compliance monitoring are also in the public domain.

Applying for Consent

• For details about making an application for discharge consent from a single domestic dwelling visit our section on Septic Tanks/Domestic Dwelling Discharges
• For details about making an application for discharge consent from multiple domestic dwellings or industry visit our Industrial and Private Sewage section
• Your application will be acknowledged within three working days of receipt.  
• Depending on the complexity of your application it will be processed within four months unless a time extension is agreed with you.
• If your application is refused you will be told how to appeal.

Further information and advice on any aspect of water pollution prevention can be obtained from:

Northern Ireland Environment Agency Water Management Unit Telephone: 028 9262 3100

Fax: 028 9267 6054 E-mail: WaterInfo@doeni.gov.uk