Guidance

Dewatering and depositing silts from sustainable drainage systems (SUDS): RPS 55

Environment Agency enforcement position on when you can dewater and deposit silt from SUDS without an environmental permit.

• From: Environment Agency
• Published: 27 March 2014
• Last updated: 5 January 2023 — See all updates

Applies to England

Documents

Dewatering and depositing silts from sustainable drainage systems (SUDS) on land: RPS 55

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Details

This regulatory position statement (RPS) does not change your legal requirement to get an environmental permit for a waste operation or a groundwater activity when you dewater and deposit silt from SUDS on land.

However, the Environment Agency will not normally take enforcement action when you do this without the relevant environmental permit if you comply with the requirements in this RPS.

This enforcement position does not apply to any other legal requirements.

Published 27 March 2014
Last updated 5 January 2023 + show all updates

1. 5 January 2023

   Updated the expiry date to 30 November 2025. Updated the conditions, which includes also referring to groundwater activity permitting as well as waste operations.

2. 17 January 2020

   We have updated this regulatory position statement to exclude SUDS that collect surface water drainage from high risk areas, including refuse sites, industrial sites, loading bays, lorry parks and highways. We have also extended the review date until 30 November 2022.

3. 27 March 2014

   First published.