Whater discharge

Water discharges, regulated by Legislative Decree 152/2006, as subsequently amended, are defined as any input undertaken through a system that uninterruptedly connects the production cycle of wastewater with the receiving body (surface water, soil, subsoil and sewage network).

The water discharges can be of different types depending on the nature of the wastewater: domestic, similar to domestic, industrial (coming from a production process), storm water, and so on. All discharges are regulated according to compliance with the quality objectives of the water bodies, prohibiting, where appropriate, discharge into certain receiving bodies and imposing limits on the emission of polluting substances.

Furthermore, pursuant to art. 124 of the aforementioned decree, "all discharges must be authorised in advance". This has the ultimate goal of preventing and reducing pollution, and of protecting soil and surface, marine and underground waters.

As such, it applies regardless of the polluting nature of the wastewater, even if it previously undergone purification treatment.

Therefore, any party with internal water discharges, regardless of their type, must comply with the obligations established by current (national and local) legislation to avoid incurring administrative or criminal penalties.