Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992

99E

F203[Discharges to sewers.

15

99E.(1) Where the Agency proposes to grant a licence (including a revised licence) which involves a discharge of any trade effluent or other matter (other than domestic sewage or storm water) to a sewer, it shall obtain the consent of the sanitary authority in which the sewer is vested, or by which the sewer is controlled, to such a discharge being made.

(2) Where consent is sought in accordance with subsection (1), the Agency may specify a period (which period shall not in any case be less than 4 weeks from the date on which the consent is sought) within which the consent may be granted subject to, or without, conditions or refused; any consent purporting to be granted (whether subject to or without conditions) after the expiry of that period, or any decision given purporting to refuse consent after that expiry, shall be invalid and in those circumstances the Agency may proceed to grant the licence concerned as if the requirements of subsection (1) had been satisfied.

(3) Subject to subsection (4), a consent under subsection (1) may be granted subject to or without conditions and if it is granted subject to conditions the Agency shall include in the licence or revised licence concerned conditions corresponding to them or, as the Agency may think appropriate, conditions more strict than them.

(4) The conditions that may be attached to a consent by a sanitary authority under this section are the following and no other conditions, namely conditions

(a) relating to

(i) the nature, composition, temperature, volume, level, rate, and location of the discharge concerned and the period during which the discharge may, or may not, be made,

(ii) the provision, operation, maintenance and supervision of meters, gauges, manholes, inspection chambers and other apparatus and other means for monitoring the nature, extent and effect of emissions,

(iii) the taking and analysis of samples, the keeping of records and furnishing of information to the sanitary authority,

(b) providing for the payment by the licensee to the sanitary authority concerned of such amount or amounts as may be determined by the sanitary authority having regard to the expenditure incurred or to be incurred by it in monitoring, treating and disposing of discharges of trade effluent, sewage effluent and other matter to sewers in its functional area or a specified part of its functional area,

(c) specifying a date not later than which any conditions attached under this section shall be complied with,

(d) relating to, providing for or specifying such other matter as may be prescribed.

(5) A sanitary authority may request the Agency to review a licence or revised licence to which this section relates

(a) at intervals of not less than 3 years from the date on which the licence or the revised licence is granted, or

(b) at any time with the consent, or on the application, of the person making, causing or permitting the discharge, or

(c) at any time if

(i) the sanitary authority has reasonable grounds for believing that the discharge authorised by the licence or revised licence is, or is likely to be, injurious to public health or is likely to render the waters to which the sewer concerned discharges unfit for use for domestic, commercial, industrial, fishery (including fish-farming), agricultural or recreational uses or is, or is likely to be otherwise, a serious risk to the quality of the waters,

(ii) there has been a material change in the nature or volume of the discharge,

(iii) there has been a material change in relation to the waters to which the sewer concerned discharges, or

(iv) further information has become available since the date on which the licence or revised licence was granted relating to polluting matter present in the discharge concerned or relating to the effects of such matter,

and the Agency shall consider and may comply with such request and shall have regard to any submission on the matter received from the sanitary authority.]

F204[(6) In this section, a reference to a sanitary authority shall be construed as including a reference to any person acting on behalf of or jointly with a sanitary authority.]

Annotations

Amendments:

F203

Inserted (12.07.2004) by Protection of the Environment Act 2003 (27/2003), s. 15, S.I. No. 393 of 2004.

F204

Inserted (31.12.2007) by Water Services Act 2007 (30/2007), s. 107(e)(v), S.I. No. 846 of 2007.

Modifications (not altering text):

C43

Prospective affecting provision: provision for functions under section to be discharged by Water Services Act 2007 (30/2007), s. 63(4), not commenced as of date of revision.

Licensing of discharges to sewers.

64. ...

(4) A water services authority shall take all such steps as may be appropriate in the discharge of its functions under this section, and under section 99E of the Act of 1992 as inserted by section 15 of the Protection of the Environment Act 2003, to ensure that the requirements of Schedule 2 are complied with in respect to the discharge of relevant waste water, and shall review, and if necessary revise, any licence concerned at intervals provided for in section 65.

...

C44

Term “sanitary authority” construed in relation to water services (31.12.2007) by Water Services Act 2007 (30/2007), s. 39, S.I. No. 846 of 2007, and (1.01.2014) by Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 (50/2013), s. 7(3), (4), S.I. No. 757 of 2013.

Transfer of functions from sanitary authorities.

39.— All functions assigned to sanitary authorities under any other enactment shall, in so far as they relate to the carrying out by a water services authority of functions in relation to the provision of water services, be deemed to be functions of a water services authority, and all references to a sanitary authority in those acts and related enactments are to be construed accordingly.

...

Transfer of functions from water service authorities to Irish Water

7. ....

(3) All functions of sanitary authorities deemed to be functions of a water services authority under section 39 of the Act of 2007 shall, on the transfer day, be transferred to Irish Water.

(4) References to a sanitary authority in any enactment or instrument under any enactment shall, on and after the transfer day, in so far as they relate to any function transferred by subsection (3), be construed as references to Irish Water.