How are surface waters and groundwater protected from pollution in England, Northern Ireland and Wales?

You are committing an offence if you cause or knowingly permit:

• solid waste matter, or poisonous, noxious or polluting matter to enter surface waters or groundwater
• trade and sewage effluent to enter surface waters or groundwater without prior consent from your environmental regulator.

It is not an offence to discharge clean surface water run-off (rain run-off from roofs and yards) to surface waters or groundwater. However, if there is any risk of run-off being contaminated, for example by oil drips from cars or roofs contaminated by chimney emissions, then it is an offence to discharge the water without a discharge consent.

Discharges to land

You need a discharge consent for all discharges to land.

Groundwater Regulations

If you make direct or indirect discharges to groundwater the Groundwater Regulations may be relevant to you.

In this guideline: