There are a considerable number of legislative procedures that surround the selection and installation of Septic Tanks and Sewage Treatment Plants. The most fundamental is the requirement for site owners to apply for a Permit to Discharge : authorisation from the Environment Agency allowing the building’s sewage system to discharge into the ground or to a surface water resource, for example, a river or stream.

Environmental Permitting Programme – Second Phase (or EPP2 as it is commonly abbreviated to), is a wholly new procedure, enabling owners of small sewage tanks to register for an exemption from the requirement for a Permit to Discharge. Kingspan Environmental has produced this guide to provide homeowners and construction professionals with an introduction to EPP2, related standards and to help with understanding the overall compliance procedure for off-mains sewage systems. EPP2 is part of a wider government programme of modernising and improving the many regulations that protect our environment and human health. It is designed to not only improve environmental safeguards, but to reduce administrative burdens and costs.

EPP2 is part of the Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPR), a joint initiative between the Environment Agency, DEFRA, the Department for Energy and Climate Change and the Welsh Assembly Government.

If you are installing a small septic tank or sewage treatment plant, you may no longer need to apply for a permit to discharge. Instead you may qualify to register for an exemption. EPP2’s technical guidance notes contain a range of criteria that applicants must meet in order to qualify for this exemption. These requirements concern specific details such as unit location, intended discharge point, installation, maintenance record keeping, and actual product installed, amongst others.

A key requirement is that installed products must be tested and approved to specific quality and performance standards. In a bid to streamline the process, new applicants can register for an exemption using a form available to download from the Environment Agency’s website.