As is known, a discharge is any emission of pollutants that occurs directly or indirectly - regardless of the procedure or technique used - to continental waters, as well as to the rest of the public hydraulic domain. The Hydraulic Public Domain includes: Continental waters (e.g. lakes, reservoirs and lagoons), both surface and groundwater, renewable regardless of the renewal time. The channels of natural currents, continuous or discontinuous. The Canada Mobile Number List beds of lakes and lagoons and those of surface reservoirs in public channels. Underground aquifers, for the purposes of acts of disposal or affectation of hydraulic resources. Waters from seawater desalination. It should be noted that if prior administrative authorization is not obtained, the direct or indirect discharge of water and waste products likely to contaminate continental waters or any other element of the public hydraulic domain is illegal . II.-Regulatory standard Discharges into the public hydraulic domain are regulated in Title V, Chapter II, Section of Royal Legislative Decree /, of July , which approves the consolidated text of the Water Law (TRLA), in concomitance with the provisions of Title III, Chapter II, of the Hydraulic Public Domain Regulations (RDPH).
Authorization of discharges The purpose of the discharge authorization is to obtain the good ecological status of the water in accordance with the quality standards, the environmental objectives and the emission and pollution concentration characteristics established in the water regulations. To obtain an authorization, it must be requested in accordance with the provisions of Order AAA//, of October , which approves the official authorization application and discharge declaration models, with the following powers corresponding to: Regarding direct discharges (such as irrigation canals, riverbeds, groundwater), the Basin Organizations will be competent if they are inter-community basins and the Autonomous Bodies if they concern intra-community basins. Regarding indirect discharges (drainage channels, wastewater or rainwater collector networks), it is the responsibility of the regional or local bodies, whether they are inter-community basins or intra-community basins. Finally, if discharges into the maritime-terrestrial public domain (carried out from land to sea) are referred to as coastal and transitional waters, the autonomous bodies will be responsible for both inter-community and intra-community basins.
It is appropriate to specify the difference between inter-community and intra-community basins . The first is a basin whose surface extends across the territory of more than one Autonomous Community, with the State exercising powers over it, while the second is a basin whose surface is included entirely within the territory of an Autonomous Community. , exercising the powers over said basin if its Statute of Autonomy allows it. Thus, the authorizations will have a maximum validity period of five years , being renewable successively if they comply with quality standards and environmental objectives. However, the Government may prohibit , in specific areas, those activities and industrial processes whose liquids may constitute a risk of serious contamination for water, either in its normal operation or in the case of foreseeable exceptional situations. IV.-Conditions of discharge authorizations Discharge authorizations must establish the conditions - non-compliance with which may lead to revocation - under which they must be carried out, specifically delimiting: The origin of the wastewater, as well as the geographical location of the discharge point. The flow rate and emission limit values of liquids. The purification and evacuation facilities that the Basin Agency considers appropriate. The start and completion dates of the works and installations.