Guidance
Position statements
These set out our approach to particular issues that arise during the regulatory process:
- WAT-PS-06-08: Policy and supporting guidance on provision of waste water drainage in settlements
- WAT-PS-10-01: Assigning groundwater assessment criteria for pollutant inputs
- WAT-PS-10-02: Assigning groundwater assessment criteria for pollutant inputs This applies from 1 February 2025
- List of groundwater standards This applies from 1 February 2025
Sewage guidance
- Private sewage treatment registration guidance
- How to apply for a licence to discharge sewage effluent
- Hydrogeological guidance to apply for a licence to discharge effluent to soakaway
Regulatory methods
These set out the process SEPA follows when assessing applications for pollution control:
- WAT-RM-05: Regulation of trade effluent discharges to surface waters
- WAT-RM-06: Regulation of trade effluent discharges to groundwater
- WAT-RM-07: Sewer overflows
- WAT-RM-08: Regulation of sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS)
- WAT-RM-12: Regulation of discharges from water treatment works
- WAT-RM-13: Microbial Discharges
- WAT-RM-21: Allocation of capacity and protection of the water environment [Ex-no deterioration and allocation of capacity]
- WAT-RM-33: Disposals to land: new applications
- WAT-RM-37: Regulation of phosphorus discharges to freshwater lochs
- WAT-RM-40: Assessment of numeric discharge quality conditions (for CAR, UWWTD, IPC and PPC compliance) [Ex-"Compliance assessment"]
- WAT-RM-46: Regulation of animal carcass burial
SEPA supporting guidance
Documents produced for SEPA staff, which we have made publicly available, and documents published by SEPA specifically for external use:
- WAT-SG-02: Modelling methods for surface water discharges
- WAT-SG-03: Data Analysis and River Quality Planning Model
- WAT-SG-05: Point source discharge constituents
- WAT-SG-11: Modelling discharges to coastal and transitional waters
- WAT-SG-12: GBR for Water Run-off and Discharges into Surface Water Drainage Systems
- WAT-SG-13: Municipal sewage treatment works (STW)
- WAT-SG-14: Waste sheep dip and pesticide disposal to land
- WAT-SG-18: Control of plants in or near to water
- WAT-SG-22: Disposal to land - Review form and control report (Completion guidance) - Archived This information is now available in SEARS-SG-001
- WAT-SG-39: Point source regime definitions - The content of this document is now included in the CAR practical guide
- WAT-SG-41: Discharge of chlorinated effluents
- WAT-SG-42: Communications protocol for compliance sampling and reporting between SEPA and Scottish Water
- WAT-SG-53: Environmental quality standards for discharges to surface waters
- WAT-SG-57: Toxicity screening for discharges
- WAT-SG-75: Sector Specific Guidance: Construction Sites
- WAT-SG-85: Guidance on Authorising Thermal Discharges
- WAT-SG-87: Compliance monitoring for sewer network licences
- WAT-SG-91: Decision Framework for addressing risks posed by excess inputs of nutrients
- WAT-SG-94: Oil and Gas Decommissioning Operations
Compliance assessment scheme
- CAS-G-002: Calibration of monitoring and measurement equipment at sewage treatment works
- CAS-G-003: Flow/event monitoring at Scottish Water STWs
- CAS-G-004: Flow recording and reporting at sewage treatment works and on the sewer network
Other supporting guidance
We have identified these documents as being relevant to CAR applicants: