The government has published a list of sensitive catchment areas designated as catchment permitting areas under the Water Industry Act 1991.

The Secretary of State has designated the following catchments as catchment permitting areas for the purposes of Chapter I, Part IV of the Water Industry Act 1991:

• River Avon
• Solent
• Teesmouth and Cleveland Coast

Effect of this notice 

The effect of this notice is to require the Environment Agency to review environmental permits applying to plants which discharge treated effluent into the catchment permitting area that are nutrient significant plants. The Environment Agency may also review such other plants as it considers appropriate.

Following this review, the Environment Agency must impose conditions on the relevant permits relating to nutrients in treated effluent. The purpose of the conditions will be to ensure that, on and after the date specified by the sensitive catchment area designation, the overall effect on the habitats site associated with the catchment permitting area is the same or better than it would be if the standard concentration applied to nutrient significant plants.