The Urban Waste Water Treatment Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995

Duty to provide and maintain sewers

4.—(1) This regulation supplements the duty imposed on the Department(1) by Article 3(1)(b) and (c) of the 1973 Order to provide sewerage services.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3), the duty imposed by sub-paragraph (1)(b) of Article 3 of the 1973 Order shall include a duty to ensure that collecting systems which satisfy the requirements of Schedule 2 are provided—

(a) where the urban waste water discharges into receiving waters which are a sensitive area, by 31st December 1998 for every agglomeration with a population equivalent of more than 10,000; and

(b) without prejudice to sub-paragraph (a)—

(i) by 31st December 2000 for every agglomeration with a population equivalent of more than 15,000; and

(ii) by 31st December 2005 for every agglomeration with a population equivalent of between 2,000 and 15,000.

(3) Paragraph (2) shall not apply where the Department is satisfied that the establishment of a collecting system is not justified because—

(a) it would produce no environmental benefit, or

(b) it would involve excessive cost,

and individual systems or other appropriate systems are provided that achieve the same level of environmental protection.

(4) The duty imposed by sub-paragraph (1)(c) of Article 3 of the 1973 Order shall include a duty to ensure that urban waste water entering collecting systems is, before discharge, subject to treatment provided in accordance with regulation 5, and to ensure that—

(a) plants built in order to comply with that regulation are designed (account being taken of seasonal variations of the load), constructed, operated and maintained to ensure sufficient performance under all normal local climatic conditions;

(b) treated waste water and sludge arising from waste water treatment are reused whenever appropriate; and

(c) disposal routes for treated waste water and sludge minimise the adverse effects on the environment.

(1)

See S.R. & O. (N.I.) 1973 No. 504 Art. 4 for transfer of the functions from the Ministry of Development to the Department of the Environment