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Northern Ireland introduces new sewer adoption process

The Northern Ireland Assembly has introduced new legislation to ensure that all sewers and lateral drains that are connected to the public sewer network need to be formally adopted by an agreement with NI Water.

Under the Water and Sewerage Services Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 – which comes into force on 23 May – anyone who wants to connect a new sewer or lateral drain to the existing public sewer network within NI Water’s operational area will have to obtain a sewer adoption agreement with NI Water.

The new legislation also permits NI Water to refuse surface water connections to the public sewer network, and to make the applicant consider alternative means for disposal. The scope for adoption of development drainage systems will also be extended to cover specified sustainable drainage components.

Northern Ireland Water is updating its application forms and guidance notes for developers to take account of the new legislation and the new scheme of charges. These will be published on the utility’s website on 1 April.

This article first appeared in Utility Week’s sister title WWTonline