Discharge Licences
Depending on your circumstances, you may require an effluent discharge licence for the discharge of effluent to sewers and waters.
When is an effluent discharge licence required?
An effluent discharge licence is required if:
- There are discharges of effluent to surface waters, whether domestic, commercial or industrial.
- All commercial/industrial discharges to groundwaters (including via a percolation area) and domestic effluent discharges that are greater than 5m³/day.
- There are non-domestic discharges of effluent to public sewers.
Are there exemptions to the licence?
A licence is not required for domestic sewage which does not exceed a volume of 5m³ in any period of 24 hours which is discharged to an aquifer from a septic tank or disposal unit by means of a percolation area or other method.
A licence is also not required for the discharge of domestic sewage to sewers. Large industrial or agricultural activities require an Integrated Pollution Control Licence from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Details of the classes of activities which require an Integrated Pollution Control Licence are available at the EPA's website here.
Who currently holds a licence?
Please find below details of current and invalid Discharge Licences:
How do I apply for an effluent discharge licence?
Application forms and guidance notes for discharge to surface waters and discharge to groundwater can be downloaded below. To apply for the licence, please go through the following steps.
Step 1 - If your effluent is non-domestic and is going to be discharged to public sewers, please go to Uisce Eireann's website.
Step 2 - It is essential to read or refer to the relevant guidelines prior to filling out an application form.
If the effluent is commercial, industrial or a domestic discharge of more than 5m³ per day to groundwater (including via a percolation area), please refer to these guidelines and use this application form:
Discharge to Groundwaters - Guidance to Applicant.pdf (size 1.9 MB)
Discharge to Groundwaters Application Form.pdf (size 1.1 MB)
If the effluent is domestic, commercial or industrial and is going to be discharged to surface waters, please refer to these guidelines and use this application form:
Discharge to Surfacewaters - Guidance to Applicant.pdf (size 293.9 KB)
Discharge to Surfacewaters Application Form.pdf (size 848 KB)
Step 3 - You need to publish a notice in a newspaper circulating in the functional area of Leitrim County Council of your intention to make such a Section 4 Discharge Licence application. To find out what a notice needs to include, please refer to Section 3 of the relevant guidance notes. The licence application must be submitted to Leitrim County Council within 2 weeks of the date of the publication of the newspaper notice.
Step 4 - Complete the relevant Application Form and send one signed original and 3 hard copies of it, to include all supporting documentation, to the following address: Discharge Licencing, Environment Department, Leitrim County Council, Park Lane House, Carrick on Shannon, Co. Leitrim, N41 RX53.
Licence Review: Leitrim County Council can review existing discharge licences at their discretion. The licensee can also request a review. Leitrim County Council advises that you contact the Environment Section prior to seeking this review.
How do I apply for an effluent discharge licence review?
To request a review and/or submit an application for a review, please email environment@leitrimcoco.ie.
To report any unauthorised or polluting discharges to surface waters please email details to environmentalcomplaints@leitrimcoco.ie.