Water Companies and the Environmental Agency (EA) are by law responsible for the quantity and quality of effluent discharged into the seas or rivers (watercourses). As a consequence they must control the amount and type of effluent entering into treatment works to

a finite capacity. Should this capacity be exceeded pollution would be transferred into the watercourses. Industry, with its diversity of trade effluent is the most difficult to control and where high volumes of polluting effluent are generated, companies may be required to monitor and control their discharge.

Charges are made up of a number factors depending on the nature of the effluent. These include flow volume, solid content and COD and/or BOD. Of these COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) and BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand) attract the highest charges as effluents of this nature strip oxygen from the water which eventually ends up, via the treatment works, in the watercourse.

All factories that discharge trade effluent must obtain consent from the Water Companies or the EA to do so. This consent lays down what can and cannot be discharged. Usually, it will define the

volume and acidity of the effluent that can be discharged. Should the consent figures be exceeded companies can face heavy fines and in the extreme, closure.

Usually at the final point where the effluent leaves the factory into the sewer. This is the most representative point for determining what you are discharging into the system. Your human effluent should discharge after this point.

No! Only those that discharge trade effluent of a polluting nature. Where it can be demonstrated that the effluent is of a clean quality and presents no pollution, online monitoring of the effluent is not required.

In many cases, it will give savings either directly through more accurate billing of your effluent, or indirectly, by providing information to enable procedures to be introduced to reduce the pollutants present. For example, simple measures such as aeration can lead to a considerable reduction in COD which can give large savings on your bill.