When you need a permit for this activity
You must get a permission from us to conduct certain activities that have risk of harm to human health and the environment. These are called prescribed activities and are defined in Schedule 1 of the Environment Protection Regulations 2021.
Under the Regulations, you need an an A18 – Discharge or deposit waste to an aquifer permit for a site that discharges or deposits waste to aquifer. An aquifer is an underground layer that holds water.
This does not include sites that discharge or deposit waste to aquifer according to:
- an EPA licence
- the Greenhouse Gas Geological Sequestration Act 2008.
An exception also applies to the injection of water or chemicals for the remediation of groundwater in an aquifer following the relevant guidelines published or approved by us.
Our Discharge or deposit of waste to aquifer – guidelines for injection of water or remedial chemicals provides guidance to anyone who intends to inject water or chemicals into an aquifer for this purpose. You can do this without a permit.
Permission from other regulators or authorities
Releasing waste to an aquifer may also require approval from the managing water corporation. Consult with your relevant water authority to make sure you have the correct approvals to operate.
Exemptions
Under some circumstances, you can apply for a permit exemption.
Information to include in your application
When you submit your application in the portal, it must include certain information and supporting evidence. To learn more, visit Apply for a permit.
If you're unsure of the type of permission you need, use our free permission pathway process before you start your application.
For this application, you must also provide:
Summary of the proposal
Describe the purpose of the discharge. Refer to subregulations 28(e) and 29(1) of the Environment Protection Regulations 2021. This should include detailed description of:
- why you need to discharge waste to an aquifer, with reference to the waste hierarchy
- why other ways to dispose of the waste are not possible
- the source, amount and quality of waste
- any treatment of the waste before discharge
- the area that will be the discharge zone
- proposed delivery techniques – for example, single point bores, bore fields/arrays, infiltration galleries or seepage pits
- the likely effect on any environmental values identified in the Environment Reference Standard as related to subregulation 28(e).
Subregulation 28(e) describes prescribed matters that we must take into account when determining to issue an A18 permit. This includes whether granting the permit may adversely affect any environmental values identified in any relevant Environment Reference Standard.
Subregulation 29(1) describes circumstances in which we must refuse an application for an A18 permit. This includes discharge or deposit of waste to an aquifer that is not for at least one of the following purposes:
- aquifer recharge
- irrigation drainage
- stormwater disposal
- backfilling or underground mine workings with tailings
- mine rehabilitation
- in situ desalination
- groundwater tracers
- greenhouse gas sequestration operations
- remediation of groundwater in an aquifer by injection of water or remediation chemicals.
Characteristics of the waste
Describe the quality and chemical composition of the waste. Include a description of any treatment done before discharge or deposit – for example, any sampling and analysis of the waste and waste stream. Include:
- the total volume or rate (volume/time) of waste to be discharged or deposited
- the time frame in which the discharge or deposit will happen
- how the discharge or deposit will happen – for example, continuous, pulsed or periodic
- the intervals or time between discharge or deposit events (where relevant)
- the time over which the whole project will happen, from start to finish, including pilot trial and full-scale.
Characteristics of the aquifer
Provide a description of:
- the location and properties of the aquifer, for example:
- flow direction
- depth
- geology
- permeability/transmissivity
- applicable environmental values of the groundwater identified in the Environment Reference Standard, based on available information from site or regional studies
- existing/background quality of groundwater – for example, existing or background levels of contamination
- existing groundwater extractive uses within 2 km of your proposed discharge location. Include the use, the distance from the site and whether they are up-gradient, down-gradient or cross-gradient.
- existing surface water receptors, including groundwater dependent ecosystems (GDEs), within 2 km of your proposed discharge location. Include the approximate distance and direction from the site.
Doing a hydrological assessment provides a robust structure for describing the aquifer characteristics and the associated risks from your activity. See Hydrogeological assessment guidelines for groundwater quality.
Considering the risk of harm to human health and the environment
Describe the extent of impacts to the environmental values of the aquifer – for example, potential extents of migration. Migration means how far into the environment the waste might travel.
Include the results of fate and transport modelling, or justify why modelling was not performed.
Provide details of any environmental and health risk assessments, or justify why risk assessment was not performed.
Describe the physical effects to the aquifer. This should include:
- displacement/mounding effects
- changes in groundwater flow direction
- changes to groundwater discharge locations, including GDEs.
Where modelling is available, describe:
- the model and your reasons for choosing that model
- sensitivity analysis conducted and any error margins
- assumptions underpinning the model and your reasons for those assumptions.
Provide a description of:
- the proposed environmental quality objectives for monitoring and management
- the proposed groundwater quality monitoring plan, including locations, frequency, chemical analysis suites and monitoring period (before, during and after discharge)
- your proposed triggers and plans if unexpected adverse outcomes happen
- any community or stakeholder consultation you have undertaken.
For more information, refer to:
- Groundwater sampling guidelines
- National Environment Protection (Assessment of Site Contamination) Measure 1999 (Cth):
- Schedule B2, section 4 – Conceptual site models
- Schedule B2, section 10 – Contaminant fate and transport modelling
- Schedule B4 – Site-specific health risk assessment methodology
- Schedule B5a – Ecological risk assessment
Application fee
For a list of current fees and how they're calculated, visit Fees. An extra fee may apply if we need more time than specified in the Regulations to assess your application.
If an application fee applies, we cannot assess your application until we've received and processed this fee.
How long your permit is valid for
Your permit is valid for 5 years.
How we assess your application
Find out how we assess your application and how long it takes.
Permit conditions
Permission conditions outline the legal obligations for the permission holder. They set up a framework for risk management, record keeping and reporting.
Where a condition includes:
- the word 'placeholder', values will be populated with information that's specific to your site
- a reference to a 'figure' or 'appendix', information will be populated that's specific to your site.
'Authority' means Environment Protection Authority (EPA).
Other conditions may apply.
| Condition code | Description |
| PER_G01 | A copy of this permit must be kept at the activity site and be easily accessible to persons who are engaging in an activity conducted at the activity site. Information regarding the requirements of the permit and the Act duties must be included in site induction and training information. |
| PER_G02 | You must immediately notify the Authority by calling 1300 EPA VIC (1300 372 842) in the event of: a) A discharge, emission or deposit which gives rise to, or may give rise to, actual or potential harm to human health or the environment; b) A malfunction, breakdown or failure of risk control measures at the site which could reasonably be expected to give rise to actual or potential harm to human health or the environment; or c) Any breach of the permit. |
| PER_G03 | You must notify the Authority within 48 hours of the occurrence of any the following: (a) Any change to your name or address (including your registered address and site as applicable); or (b) A change to an officer (as defined in the Act). You must update the EPA Interaction Portal if any other relevant administrative details for your business change. |
| PER_G04a | You must provide the Authority with a Permission Information and Performance Statement (PIPS) in the form determined by the Authority within 2 months of receiving notification in writing from the Authority. The PIPS may be released to the public (in whole or in part). |
| PER_G04b | Information and monitoring records used for the preparation of, inclusion in, or support of, any reporting or notification that is required of you by the Authority (including data reporting, performance reporting, documents evidencing any risk and monitoring program) must be: a) retained for five years; and b) made available to the Authority on request. |
| PER_G05 | 1. You must develop a risk management and monitoring program for your activities which: (a) identifies all the risks of harm to human health and the environment which may arise from the activities you are engaging in at your activity site; (b) clearly defines your environmental performance objectives; (c) clearly defines your risk control performance objectives (d) describes how the environmental and risk control performance objectives are being achieved; (e) identifies and describes how you will continue to eliminate or minimise the risks in 1(a) (above) so far as reasonably practicable (SFARP); and (f) describes how the information collated in compliance with this clause, is or will be disseminated, used or otherwise considered by you or any other entity. 2. The risk management and monitoring program must be: (a) documented in writing; (b) signed by a duly authorised officer of the licensed entity; and (c) made available to the Authority on request. |
| PER_AQ01 | You must not discharge waste to aquifer at a rate of more than [placeholder1]. |
| PER_AQ02 | You must keep records of: a) the quantity, quality and type of waste discharged or deposited to aquifer at each point of discharge; b) the results from all monitoring undertaken in accordance with the groundwater management and monitoring plan; c) any exceedences of trigger values; and d) any implemented contingency measures. The records must be kept for five years and made available to the Authority on request. |
| PER_AQ03 | The groundwater quality objectives for [placeholder1] are not required to be met within the attenuation zone, as shown in Appendix 2. |
Manage your permit
To amend, transfer or surrender your permit, visit Manage your permission.
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