Guidance

Collecting and storing sewage effluent from boats: RPS 54

Updated 9 May 2019

This guidance was withdrawn on

We have replaced this RPS with Storing and treating chemical toilet waste: RPS 277.

Applies to England

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/collecting-and-storing-sewage-at-marinas-and-lock-sites/collecting-and-storing-sewage-effluent-from-boats-rps-54

It is common for inland and coastal marinas and lock sites to provide a sewage disposal service for private and commercial boats.

You usually need a waste operation environmental permit from the Environment Agency to bulk up and store sewage under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016. However, if you follow the conditions in this RPS you can collect and store sewage effluent from boats without a waste operation environmental permit.

Conditions you must comply with

You do not need a waste operation environmental permit if:

  • you do not store more than 60 cubic metres of sewage at any one time
  • you keep the sewage in a secure container - ‘secure’ means that the waste cannot escape and unauthorised people cannot access it
  • the container is constructed, inspected and maintained in accordance with the guidance on preventing pollution
  • you pass the sewage to an authorised carrier for disposal

You must make sure your activities do not endanger human health or the environment. You must not:

  • cause a risk to water, air, soil, plants or animals
  • cause a nuisance through noise or odours
  • adversely affect the countryside or places of special interest

Enforcement

An RPS means that the Environment Agency will not normally take enforcement action against you for operating without a waste operation environmental permit provided:

  • your activity meets the description set out in this RPS
  • you comply with the conditions set out in this RPS
  • your activity does not, and is not likely to, cause environmental pollution or harm human health

When to check back

This RPS will be reviewed by 1 May 2022. You’ll need to check back then to see if it still applies or if you need to apply for a permit.

Contact the Environment Agency

General enquiries

National Customer Contact Centre
PO Box 544
Rotherham
S60 1BY

Email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk

Telephone 03708 506 506

Telephone from outside the UK (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm GMT) +44 (0) 114 282 5312

Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

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