Surface Water Discharge Permit

27th May 2021
Surface Water Discharge Permit

An equipment testing facility required environmental services to support an application for an Environmental Permit for the discharge of cooling water from their test facility building into a nearby river. Following the completion of a Conservation Risk Assessment, it was determined that a Bespoke Environmental Permit Application would need to be submitted as the river is classified as a Local Wildlife Site, with brown trout identified downstream of the proposed discharge.

As part of the Bespoke Permit Application a Qualitative Environmental Risk Assessment was undertaken in order to assess the risks posed by the discharge waters to surface waters within the river and ecological receptors within the river’s Local Wildlife site. This assessment typically identified low or negligible risks to the identified receptors.

Following discussions with the Environment Agency, it was determined that water samples from the inlet waters and proposed discharge waters should be collected and submitted for chemical analysis. These water samples could then be assessed to compare with Environmental Quality Standards for Freshwater using the Environment Agency’s H1 screening tool. This screening process identifies all significant pollutants as well as those pollutants where further assessment maybe required as the screening has shown there is a risk to the environment.

Lustre Consulting visited the testing facility to inspect the discharge points and collected water samples for analysis. The screening assessment demonstrated that the majority of potential hazardous pollutants were recorded at concentrations below the relevant Environmental Quality Standard (EQS), with a significant number recorded at concentrations of less than 10% of the EQS. However, several determinants, including a number of PAHs and heavy metals required assessment, including determining their process contribution, following dilution within the river. Following this assessment, however, these were also assessed as posing a low risk to the river and the sensitive ecological receptors.

This detailed assessment met the Environment Agency’s requirements for a Bespoke Permit Application and enabled the test facility to successfully apply for their Environmental Permit. During this project, Lustre Consulting supported with preparing an Environmental Management Plan for the proposed discharge and prepared supporting documentation for the permit application in line with Environment Agency guidance.

Read More From Our Knowledge Centre

How we can protect your construction site from unnecessary delays and costs. If piling is part of your construction plans, a piling risk assessment could be a vital step to avoid potential problems that could disrupt your project, including: Piling risk assessments are now explicitly referenced within the Environment Agency’s Land Contamination Risk Management Guidance […]

How we can protect...

A surface water soakaway is used to capture then allow the infiltration and filtration of water runoff through a subsoil to the water table below. Your soakaway should provide sufficient short-term storage of surface water and allow the surface water to percolate into the surrounding ground. The National House-Building Council (NHBC) provides detailed guidance on […]

A surface water...

Working on a construction project can come with a long ‘to do’ list. Not only that, but you have to deal with the stress of navigating planning conditions as well as numerous building regulations. Acoustic issues don’t have to further complicate this process. Could an Acoustic Assessment be a requirement for your site? Of all […]

Working on a...

Contamination is not always something that can be seen; often contamination is invisible, buried below ground or is present in perfectly normal looking topsoil.

This is a question...