Guidance

D1 waste exemption: depositing waste from dredging inland waters

Where to deposit non-hazardous dredging spoil, how to treat it, and the quantities allowed under a D1 exemption.

Applies to England

Dredging spoil means waste you produce from dredging inland waters. It includes plant matter.听

Your waste must fit within the waste code and description.

Types and amounts of waste you can deposit

Waste code Type of waste
17听05听06 Dredging spoil (except spoil in waste code 17听05听05)

You can deposit, screen and de-water up to 50 cubic metres of dredging spoil on each metre length of land during any 12-month period.听

This also applies to dredging spoil you put in a container or lagoon.

颁辞苍诲颈迟颈辞苍蝉听

You must:听

  • follow the waste classification technical guidance to assess your dredging spoil to make sure it is not hazardous听
  • remove large items, litter and fly-tipped waste 鈥 you must send these items to an exempt or permitted waste facility听
  • allow excess water to drain away听

You must deposit the dredging spoil at the closest possible point to the location of the dredging.听听

This would be either on the water鈥檚 edge or the closest point where you can deposit the spoil in one mechanical operation.

The 鈥榗losest possible point鈥 allows for things that might prevent you from depositing the spoil closer to the dredging point, for example:听

  • 产耻颈濒诲颈苍驳蝉听
  • 丑颈驳丑飞补测蝉听
  • 飞辞辞诲濒补苍诲听
  • land ownership

After you鈥檝e deposited, screened and dewatered the dredging spoil, you can spread it on the adjoining land immediately next to the inland water.

If you want to transport the dredging spoil to spread or use elsewhere, you鈥檒l need separate exemptions or permits.

You cannot:听听

  • deposit dredging spoil on the bank of an unconnected inland water, or deposit dredging spoil from any other waters听
  • deposit dredging spoil that contains hazardous waste
  • treat dredging spoil, other than by screening and removing large items, litter and fly-tipped waste, or removing water听
  • deposit litter and fly-tipped waste听

Using containers or lagoons听

If you put dredging spoil in a container or lagoon under a D1 waste exemption, you must remove any containment structures when the dredging spoil has dried out, or before you spread it on adjoining land.听

If you form a containment bund from the dredging spoils, or soil from the adjoining land, you can level these out and spread them at the site.听

If you form the containment from other material, for example straw bales, geotextile or timber, you must remove these off-site to an exempt or permitted waste facility. You may reuse these materials where they remain fit for purpose.

Check if you need other permits听

There are different permit options for depositing waste dredged from inland waterways onto land.听

You must comply with other rules that apply to your D1 activity.听For example, you might need planning permission, or a flood risk activity permit.听

Contact your if you are raising levels or building on a floodplain or near a watercourse.听

You need an environmental permit or a different exemption if you want to manage:听听

  • waste that is not listed in this exemption听听
  • more waste than is allowed for the activity

Activity along rivers and canals听

A river or canal is a 鈥榣inear network鈥 for the purpose of this exemption. You must comply with the same rules and conditions that apply to single site locations.

When you register a D1 waste exemption for activity along a river or canal, you must fill in this听registration form听and submit it with a copy of a map or with the following details in the spreadsheet:听

  • the nearest town or district, and county听
  • name of watercourse听
  • grid references showing the start and end points of the stretch it is referring to

Registering a D1 waste exemption听

You must register your exemption with the Environment Agency. You can register through the waste exemption service.听听

Linear networks and multiple site registrations鈥

You鈥檒l need to complete this鈥registration form鈥痠nstead of using the online service.

Registration rules鈥

You cannot:鈥

  • have more than one D1 at a site at the same time鈥
  • register a D1 if it鈥檚 already been registered at the site by another business鈥
  • renew your registration more than one month before the 3-year registration period ends鈥
  • increase the storage limit by registering a separate storage exemption鈥
  • store waste that鈥檚 not included in the exemption

You can spread dredging spoil from creating or maintaining habitats, ditches or ponds within parks, gardens, fields and forests under:

Contact the Environment Agency听

General enquiries

National Customer Contact Centre
PO Box 544
Rotherham
S60 1BY

Email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk

Telephone 03708 506 506

Telephone from outside the UK (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm GMT) +44 (0) 114 282 5312

Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

Updates to this page

Published 12 September 2019
Last updated 5 June 2025 show all updates
  1. Updated to clarify registration rules, and registering along a linear network.

  2. Updated to clarify the conditions in this exemption, including the types of waste you can and cannot use and where it can be used relative to the dredging operation. Clarified when you can use a lagoon to store waste before use.

  3. First published.

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