Prevent groundwater pollution from animal burials
Animal burials can pollute groundwater if you don’t follow this guidance. Here you can find advice on:
- burying domestic pets
- pet cemeteries
- disposing of livestock and wild game
Burying domestic pets
You do not need permission from us to bury domestic pets.
You can bury small domestic pet animals such as a dog or a cat on your own land, for example in your back garden. There are no groundwater protection requirements you need to follow.
If you want to bury a larger pet animal such as a pet horse, the burial must:
- be located outside a groundwater source protection zone 1 (SPZ1)
- be at least 50 metres from any well, borehole or spring
- be at least 10 metres from any field drain, including dry ditches
- have at least 1 metre clearance between the base of the burial hole and the top of the water table – they should not have any standing water in them when dug
- be deep enough so at least 1 metre of soil will cover the top of the animal carcass
- not be dug into bedrock
- not be in an area at risk of groundwater flooding – this is when the water table beneath the ground rises and causes water to seep out at ground level (it is often seasonal)
Disposing of ashes
You do not need permission to scatter or bury ashes from a single pet cremation on your own land, or make any formal record of doing so. You should get permission from the landowner if you want to scatter or bury ashes on someone else’s land.
If you scatter ashes across surface waters, such as a river, you should:
- make sure the effect on the environment and wildlife is minimal and it will not affect other watercourse users
- not scatter any memorabilia or other items, as they may harm the environment and wildlife
Pet cemeteries
You must complete a groundwater risk assessment as part of your planning application.
We use a proportionate approach when assessing groundwater risk assessments. The risk for each site will depend on many factors, including the:
- vulnerability and sensitivity of the underlying groundwater
- depth to the water table
- proximity of groundwater abstractions, particularly those used for drinking water or food production purposes
- proximity to watercourses and wetland habitats
- aquifer type and local hydrogeological conditions
- number and density of burials
- burial techniques employed
We will oppose any pet cemeteries where the risk assessment demonstrates that the risk to groundwater is high.
All pet cemetery burials must:
- be outside a groundwater source protection zone 1 (SPZ1)
- be at least 250 metres from any well, borehole or spring where the water is intended for human consumption or used in food production
- be at least 50 metres from any spring or watercourse not used for human consumption, or not used in food production
- be at least 10 metres from any field drain, including dry ditches
- have at least 1 metre clearance between the base of the burial hole and the top of the water table – they should not have any standing water in them when dug
- be deep enough so at least 1 metre of soil will cover the top of the animal carcass
- not be dug into bedrock
- not be in an area at risk of groundwater flooding – this is when the water table beneath the ground rises and causes water to seep out at ground level (it is often seasonal)
Owners and managers of pet cemeteries should comply with:
- the Animal By-products (Enforcement) (Wales) Regulations 2014
- the voluntary code of practice of the Association of Private Pet Cemeteries and Crematoria
You must also register your pet cemetery with the Animal and Plant Health Agency. Find out where you can build pet cemeteries and how to register them.
Disposing of livestock and wild game
You must not bury any animal kept as livestock or that’s wild game. This includes animals at farms, zoos and similar places. You can dispose of them by:
- commercial incineration and rendering
- landfill – the site must have the correct environmental permit for animal carcasses
How to store, manage and dispose of agricultural materials in exceptional circumstances