Sludge to land - the Current Position Sludge recycling to land is expected to double by 2006 but the security of this route is threatened by environmental concerns and health scares.
Strategic investment is needed to ensure sustainable and secure sludge recycling outlets.
Regulatory changes to the 1998 MAFF Water Code mean that nutrient rather than PTEs now control the frequency with which sludge is applied to land. Such restrictions are based on limited information and do not optimise the available capacity of the agricultural system. We believe that not all land has an equal risk of contributing nutrients to receiving waters.