Sewage

Sewage

Millions of cubic meters (MCM) of wastewater are being produced each year within the State of Israel. Part of the wastewater come from manufacturing, trade and services, a second part from urban household wastewater, and yet another part is farming sewage. Industrial waste itself may be divided into three types - industrial effluents, brines, and sanitary waste. While not constituting the largest amount of effluents of all wastewater in Israel, industrial effluents present a greater than average risk because they contain contaminants with a broader and more meaningful range of impact. It is no coincidence that most environmental law provisions which relate to wastewater treatment and the prevention of pollution of water resources, treat industrial wastewater as a major contaminant. 

A major factor in the supervision of industrial effluents is the Ministry of Environment. The Ministry of Environment possesses a broad range of authority, including adding conditions to the business licenses, supervision over implementation, issuance of administrative stop order according to the Business Licensing Act in the case of wastewater with polluting values ​​beyond those allowed in the business license conditions. Other factors in this arena are the water and sewage corporations that operate by virtue of the water and sewage corporations Law's rules and regulations. The water and the sewage corporations themselves have broad authority, including the power to carry out monitoring and impose significant financial charges on wastewater and sewage exceptions not permitted under the rules. Even if the wastewater is fit to be allowed for irrigation, after purification, it is necessary to open proceedings versus a number of appropriate authorities in order to obtain permits that allow irrigation using such wastewater. 

Our environmental attorneys provide consultative, representation and legal support as to the environmental requirements relating to the three wastewater types typical of Industrial / Commercial activity regarding various solutions for disposal: connection to sewage systems,  preliminary treatment, operation of reservoirs, oxygenation and vaporization, marine discharge, and sewage recycling by building a more cost-effective operational framework. In this context, our environmental lawyers represent clients before committees such as the Permits Committee for Discharges into the sea, the Permits Committee for dumping into the sea, and the Committee for issuing orders permitting pumping into rivers, requests for reduction of limitations on quantities determined for discharge and more. 

Our EHS lawyers have the knowledge and experience to identify gaps between the requirements of the law and the conduct of the customer, and the knowhow to reduce these disparities - all for the benefit of reducing the environmental implications for both the customer and the environment. Preventive Legal advice, ahead of to the occurrence of a malfunction or of a significant deviation from standards - is in our opinion the right approach that will enable you to engage in production without the background noises that may be generated as a result of your activities. 

Our environmental attorneys are skilled in handling negotiations with the environmental authorities in this particular field (the Water Authority, the Ministry of Environment, the many water and sewage Municipal Associations, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Local Authorities, the Towns Association for Environmental Quality, the Regional Association of Towns for Sewage, the Nature and Parks Authority, the Drainage and Rivers Authority) and, on the other hand, and in front of the planners, the constructors and the operators of wastewater treatment systems.

 

When an event of malfunctions of the injection pumps of wastewater during work, or breakdowns of the pipelines or sewer systems, in both cases causing discharge of wastewater onto land and water resources, indictments are submitted against enterprises or local authorities and their office holders. In these cases, we will prepare you for the administrative procedures of the hearings, the investigations and, if necessary, we have the knowledge and rich experience in providing legal representation in the complex judicial proceedings.