Managing hazardous materials needs to be carried out safely and responsibly. We ensure full compliance with relevant environmental and waste management legislation including Duty of Care at all our operational sites, and we have the same expectation of our suppliers.
Reducing hazardous waste initiatives
South West Water encounters hazardous wastes including surplus or out of specification treatment chemicals, trade effluent, laboratory waste, construction waste, and wastes generated from asset maintenance activities, all of which are safely handled and stored at our operational sites.
South West Water is the regulator for industrial wastewater discharges to the public sewer. We conduct careful checks before permitting any release into the sewer, and monitors compliance with those consents. This is designed to protect both our processes and the environment from harm by ensuring levels discharged to sewer are safe, treatable and do not harm the integrity of the sewer.
We also run behavioural and awareness campaigns with our customers about not putting the wrong things into the sewerage system. The award-winning Love your Loo and Think Sink campaigns target non-biodegradable materials to help prevent pollution incidents. We have also supported Water UK in its work with the Government and wet wipe manufacturers to avoid non-degradable and plastic-containing wipes from being marketed and sold as ‘flushable’, and to help get plastic microbeads prohibited from use in cosmetic products.
We are not permitted to accept any hazardous waste via third party tankered waste imports for treatment at wastewater treatment works. Company processes are in place to ensure compliance including pre-acceptance sampling and customer declaration, and data returns demonstrating compliance are made to the Environment Agency in accordance with the Environmental Permitting Regulations.
Hazardous waste reporting
Hazardous waste is collected from our operational sites. A breakdown of our most recent data is provided below. The waste types include those produced from equipment maintenance activities such as waste mineral oils and oily rags, clinical waste, and used electrical equipment and batteries (WEEE waste). The waste is categorised in accordance with the List of Wastes (England) Regulations 2005 and collected by our approved hazardous waste contractor. It is then sent on for further treatment and/or disposal in accordance with the Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005.
Group Hazardous Waste generated can be found *in our ESG Databook