General Direction 10 – Compliance Monitoring

General Direction 10 was introduced in 2021 and prohibits all commercial vessels on the Thames from discharging sewage into the river. This regulation accompanies 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 came into force on 1st July 2024 and Port of London Authority (PLA) is 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 required to provide us with suitable evidence of compliance with the General Direction.  

The PLA is continuing to collect evidence from operators in support of their compliance with General Direction 10, and the compliance status of vessels will be made available on our website. 

Operators must submit their plans for achieving compliance with the General Direction by 1st September 2024. The PLA understands that some operators may be in a transitionary period and in such cases credible plans to achieve compliance will be rated as ‘in transition’ on our website. To submit your plans for compliance, please complete the following form (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GTCJC9M) and upload any relevant documentation. If you intend to have sewage tanks installed in dry dock, you must include the schedule for doing so.  

The PLA has produced a guidance document explaining how plans or compliance may be evidenced.