Ofwat has made a final determination of an appeal made by Amazon UK Services Limited, relating to Severn Trent Water Limited’s refusal to grant consent to the e-commerce platform to discharge trade effluent at a site in Doncaster.
In November 2023, Amazon applied to Severn Trent Water for a consent to discharge trade effluent at its Doncaster site, which was required for a proposed truck wash station.
In the application, Amazon set out that the proposed truck wash would have a full water reclaim system installed alongside a three-stage sludge interceptor with an automated penstock valve to contain any contamination in the event of a large volume oil or chemical spillage.
However, Amazon required consent from Severn Trent Water to discharge trade effluent from the site into a public sewer, in the event that the interceptor became overloaded, and such an overflow could then enter Severn Trent Water’s sewers for treatment at nearby Branton Wastewater Treatment Works, located 4 miles away from Amazon’s site.
In the application, Amazon estimated the maximum volume of effluent to be discharged per 24 hours as 30.7m³. According to the application, the estimate was based on a “worst case scenario” in which the reclaim system at the site was not operational.
Severn Trent Water rejected the application on the basis that “there is no sewage works capacity currently available to receive and treat the effluent“. Severn Trent Water advised Amazon that it was awaiting confirmation of the future development and capacity availability at Branton WWTW, and once upgraded, they would review the decision.
In February 2024, Amazon contacted Ofwat in order to formally appeal against Severn Trent Water’s decision to refuse the application. After a preliminary assessment of the appeal, in order to assess whether Ofwat had jurisdiction, the regulator opened a full investigation in April 2024.
Ofwat has now determined not to overturn Severn Trent Water’s decision on the basis that Branton WWTW is already operating beyond its DWF permit limit. Capacity issues at Branton are being addressed, with initial estimates that the work would be completed this month. Severn Trent confirmed it would contact Amazon to discuss options once capacity had improved.
