Sewage sludge odours
This is a by-product of the treatment of sewage at wastewater treatment works and sewerage systems.
Water is removed from the sludge and lime is added to produce sewage sludge cake. Read the Government's Code of Practice on the best environmental options if you produce or use sewage sludge on agricultural land.
The addition of lime reduces potential for odour, kills bacteria to a safe level and improves its suitability for spreading on agricultural land.
Any environmental problems caused by the storage of sewage sludge are regulated by the Environment Agency .
For the best practice on reducing ammonia emissions, please read this Code of Good Agricultural Practice from DEFRA .
Odours caused during the spreading of sewage sludge can be investigated by our Environmental Protection team. Typically, complaints will not be considered only if the odour persists for a minimum of 24 hours after spreading.
