Proposed Guidance on the Authorisation of Direct Discharges to Groundwater

Environmental Protection AgencyThe EPA has prepared Guidance on the Authorisation of Direct Discharges to Groundwater. This proposed guidance addresses direct discharges to groundwater from point sources that may have the potential to cause pollution. It supplements the earlier report published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) entitled “Guidance on the Authorisation of Discharges to Groundwater” (EPA, 2011) which focused on the technical assessment of indirect discharges to groundwater.

This Guidance has the following primary objectives:

  1. Present an overview of the Groundwater Regulations with respect to direct discharges to groundwater (Section 2).
  2. Provide specific examples of different types of direct discharges (Section 3)
  3. Describe conditions under which direct discharges of domestic-type wastewater effluents may be considered in the absence of suitable or feasible alternatives (Section 4).

Whereas the first two objectives deal with direct discharges in a general sense, the last objective examines direct discharges of domestic-type wastewater effluent in greater detail.

  • The EPA would welcome your feedback and observations by Monday 10th February, 2014. 

Please direct any comments or recommendations to licensing@epa.ie  or

Environmental Licensing Programme,
Office of Licensing, Climate and Resource Use,
Environmental Protection Agency,
PO Box 3000,
Johnstown Castle Estate,
Co. Wexford

Comments or recommendations made on or before this date will be given due consideration prior to completion of the guidance document. All comments or recommendation will be made publicly available and may be published on the EPA website. All correspondence/emails should be headed “Proposed Guidance on the Authorisation of Direct Discharges to Groundwater “.

Source: EPA 

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