General Direction 10 was introduced in 2021 and prohibits all commercial vessels in the Thames from discharging sewage into the river. These regulations accompany the current PLA Byelaw 49, which came into force in 2015, preventing the discharge of sewage in the Thames from houseboats and workboats.
General Direction 10 will become live on 1st July 2024, following which the PLA are seeking to understand the plans for compliance of vessels on the river. There are a range of benefits available to operators who are compliant with the new regulations including discounts on annual port dues. To claim these benefits, operators are asked to provide us with suitable evidence of compliance with the General Direction.
