The Environment Agency (EA) has opened a consultation on charge proposals for water quality permits. It would see charges increase significantly, especially for water companies.

The EA says it is seeking to recover the full cost of services through charges. The EA has our charges to address changes in the cost of delivering services, inflationary pressures and incorporating the cost of new services that will improve the way it regulates the water industry.

For water quality permits the EA proposes to:

• increase permit application charges, including additional charges for habitats assessment
• increase most annual subsistence charges
• introduce new annual subsistence charges for permits held by sewerage undertakers operating the public sewerage system and treatment activities
• introduce new duties and charges following Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) (Amendment)(England) Regulations 2023 groundwater amendments
• introduce supplementary charges for specific substances assessments and amend circumstances when they are payable

The proposed introduction of new subsistence charges for “discharges of sewage effluent by sewerage undertakers” will have the greatest impact on the water industry. These charges will help to fund an improved approach to regulation of the water industry.

There will be a small increase in annual subsistence charges made for most of the other water discharge activities. In some cases, there will be a small decrease. There will be increases to permit application charges in most cases, although there will be no change to small sewage discharge applications from a domestic household or an organisation that operates for charitable purposes. Having reviewed our permitting and regulatory activity for water quality activities alongside the water industry transformation programme (see Glossary), the EA is asking you to share your views on the proposed changes to our charges.

The consultation is open until 11 March.

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