Building, buying or selling your own home in Northern Ireland? – Here’s what you need to know about sewage
Houses within rural parts of Northern Ireland are often situated away from the main sewers. So, if you're planning on building, selling or buying a house, you need to think about sewage treatment.
If the property is not connected to the main sewer and has an off-mains wastewater system or needs a new system, this requires a legal consent from your local environment agency, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).
When building, a crucial part of your planning permission is that you must obtain Consent to Discharge from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) prior to commencement of works onsite. If you are buying a property that is not connected to the main sewers, it is very important to ensure that the property has obtained a consent to discharge from NIEA, and equally important to ensure that the system is installed in accordance with the issued consent.
Within a Consent to Discharge certificate, it is a condition that you enter into a contract with the supplier of your sewage treatment system, or other competent body, to maintain optimum performance of the sewage treatment system at all times.
How can Viltra help?
As part of our consultancy service, Viltra can help you every step of the way with the Consent to Discharge process in Northern Ireland, from the application, consultation with the DAERA, right up to final approval. From single domestic houses up to large commercial and industrial projects, Viltra can take care of the process for you.
DAERA states, ‘it is an offence under the Water (NI) Order 1999 to discharge sewage effluent into a waterway or soakaway without the consent of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA). Failure to install and maintain a treatment system in accordance with the conditions of the consent is a criminal offence in Northern Ireland.’
On 2nd November 2020, a fully integrated online application process for domestic consents was launched, this is the easiest way to apply for your domestic consent to discharge. For more information click here.
Start a project with us
At Viltra, we are specialists in separating waste and water. Whether you have an individual household, a business or a development, we all need and rely on water, we all create and dispose of waste and we all must keep these two worlds apart.
Viltra are a dedicated team who designs, manufactures and installs wastewater treatment solutions for a wide range of sectors across the UK and Ireland, including the commercial and industrial sector, education sector, conservation sector, domestic sector, agricultural sector and the tourism and hospitality industry. Offering an end-to-end service, the experienced team at Viltra ensure our customers receive a premium service and a robust solution to their wastewater management requirements.
To make an enquiry or to book a site visit by our expert engineers who will find a solution for you, please get in touch with Viltra through the contact form provided.
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