Water

Regulation of industrial discharges has improved the quality of water over the past decades. If you have an authorisation you will have strict limits on what you can discharge from your site.

Some business activities have the potential to cause water pollution, and this section provides guidance on what you must do to prevent pollution.

Please note: In Scotland, if you carry out activities in or near water, or discharge to the water environment, you will currently have a Controlled Activities Regulations (CAR) authorisation. From 01 November 2025, CAR has been replaced by the Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations (EASR) and your existing CAR authorisation will automatically become an EASR authorisation. For most people the conditions will be the same. Keep an eye on the NetRegs guidance pages for updates to guidance relating to changes brought in by EASR.