Consultation on the regulatory framework for sludge applied to agriculture

Sewage sludge (hereafter ‘sludge’) is the residual solid waste generated from wastewater treatment. Most sludge is produced and treated by Water and Sewerage Companies. It can also be produced from the treatment of private sewage (i.e., septic tank sludge). 94.4% of sludge produced by English Water and Sewerage Companies is reused on agricultural land as a source of vital plant nutrients and organic matter [1]. This is used on around 1.9% of the UK’s agricultural land [2]. Government policy since 1989 has favoured the reuse of sludge as a soil enhancer and fertiliser on agricultural land as the best environmental option in most circumstances [3]. The Sludge (Use in Agriculture) Regulations 1989 (‘the Regulations’) [4], supported by the Sewage Sludge code of practice [5], regulate the spreading of sludge on land. The Regulations have not gone through any substantial revisions since they were implemented, despite improvements in our u