Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Key definition

Compliance definition

What does Compliance mean? In legal practice, compliance describes the processes by which an organisation and its officers ensure adherence to applicable laws, regulatory requirements, licence conditions, professional rules, court orders and relevant industry codes. It is a descriptive expression rather than a single defined legal term, though specific regimes prescribe detailed obligations (for example, UK GDPR/Data Protection Act 2018 and, in Ireland, EU GDPR; anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing rules; and sectoral conduct requirements). Key features include identifying legal and regulatory obligations; implementing proportionate policies, controls and training; monitoring and record-keeping; regulatory notifications and reporting (including suspicious activity reports); and engagement with...

Trade effluent consents and agreements under the Water Industry Act 1991: compliance, offences, sewerage undertaker duties and Ofwat appeals (England and Wales)

Published by a LexisNexis Environment expert

Practice notes

compliance, enforcement and offences

Owner or occupier of trade premises

It is an offence, carrying on summary conviction a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, and on conviction on indictment an unlimited fine, to:

discharge trade effluent from trade premises without a consent or agreement issued under the Water Industry Act 1991 (WIA 1991)
breach any conditions attached to such a consent or agreement

See Practice Notes: Trade effluent consents and agreements—when are they required? and Trade effluent consents and agreements—applications for further details on when and how to apply for a trade effluent consent or agreement.

Agreements are enforceable between the contracting parties—namely the owner occupier of the relevant trade premises and the sewerage undertaker—insofar as they concern private contractual obligations, eg adopting a pipeline. However, to discharge trade effluent in breach of the terms of the agreement is an offence punishable on summary conviction by a fine...

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Michael Bowes

6 Pump Court

Dr Michael Bowes has extensive experience in law including: Infrastructure, Energy, Planning, Environmental, Commercial and Competition. In addition, he has considerable experience in Water Law and is recognised as an industry expert. He provides advice to the top level of those in Law and Industry.He currently works at 6 Pump Court Chambers as a barrister. Michael joined Chambers from a long and successful career in private practice. He qualified as a solicitor in 2007. During the previous decade, he worked with Eversheds Sutherland LLP and BCLP LLP as a senior regulatory specialist. He led teams in Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects to include Development Consent Orders and Transport Works Act Orders. Previous to this, he worked as a lawyer with international organisations (The United Nations, The Council of Europe) and private organisations (fund management, private enterprise, private practice). He has also taught...

Web page updated on 22/05/2026

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