Applications from Northumbrian Water to vary the treatment of sewage discharges from six sewage works in the north east will not be 'called in' for a decision by the Secretary of State for the Environment.

Sewage discharges to coastal waters must be granted consent by the Environment Agency and objectors to consent proposals can request that the Secretary of State call in an application for his own consideration if they believe that the Environment Agency has not addressed their concerns.

To qualify for a call-in, the proposed discharges must be of more than regional significance and must raise novel or unusual issues which have not been publicly debated in another context. The Secretary of State found that the Northumbrian Water applications did not meet these criteria.

Objections were made to Northumbrian Water's proposal to change its existing consents of year-round ultra violet treatment at six sites to treatment on a seasonal basis, between May and September, to coincide with the bathing season. Secondary treatment of the effluent would continue to apply year-round. Objectors were concerned that reducing the UV treatment to a seasonal only basis would present a health risk to water users outside that window.

The Environment Agency determined that varying the UV treatment on a seasonal basis presented no risk to water quality at four of the six sites. However it considered that at two sites, Howdon and Marske, there would be a potential risk to water quality. The Agency therefore recommended that, to protect the wellbeing of water users, year-round UV treatment should continue at Marske, and seasonal variation at Howdon must be extended from the beginning of April to the end of November.

The decision of the Secretary of State not to intervene means that the Agency will now issue the variations of consents for four sites, issue a revised consent for Howdon, and refuse the application for Marske.