Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government why biomedia released from wastewater treatments plants is not treated as hazardous waste.

Water companies must ensure all reasonable measures are in place to prevent the unauthorised or accidental escape of bio-media from wastewater treatment works to the environment.

The Environment Agency (EA) is working alongside the water sector on an ongoing research project, led by UK Water Industry Research (UKWIR), looking at the complex issue of the impact of microplastics generated by wastewater treatment works.

In the event of any escape of bio-media from wastewater treatment works above permitted controls or that may cause significant pollution, Water Companies must immediately report this as a pollution incident to the EA, which will investigate and take necessary enforcement action. The Secretary of State for Defra has written to Water Companies to reiterate how unacceptable the pollution incident at Camber Sands is, and to stress the positive action Water Companies must take to ensure their infrastructure is functioning correctly.

Under waste regulations and mandatory guidance in place, waste bio-media classification depends on the properties of the specific material. Where it is above the relevant thresholds for hazardous properties, then it would be classified as a hazardous waste.