What is MCERTS?

You may have been told that you need to get your MCERTS flowmeter certified but what exactly is MCERTS?

MCERTS (Monitoring Certification Scheme) is an Environment Agency quality standard for monitoring environmental emissions.

Rolled out for flow in 2003… the objective of the MCERTS scheme is to ensure that the emissions data submitted to the Environment Agency / National Resource Wales (NRW) from both water utilities and commercial sites is accurate and reliable.  In turn, this flow data can then be used to determine whether sites are operating within their environmental emissions limits.

What is the standard?

Flow monitoring systems that fall under the MCERTS scheme must achieve a measurement uncertainty of better than ±8%.

Flowmeters installed after 2010 must also be an MCERTS certified product at the time of installation.  A list of MCERTS certified products can be found on the CSA website.

The exact parameters required to meet the standard can be found within the Minimum Requirements for the Self-Monitoring of Flow document available on the gov.co.uk website.

Additionally, MCERTS regulations now extend to Event Duration Monitoring (EDM) for storm overflows.  More information on this can be found here. 

Who does this apply to?

An MCERTS certificate is required if…

Your site has a permit to discharge more than 50 cubic metres per day.

Your environmental permit includes a flow monitoring condition.

Your site has a discharge consent from a water utility that requires MCERTS compliance.

Many organisations adopt MCERTS voluntarily, as it combines equipment approval, performance testing and impartial in-depth reporting into a single standard, making it ideal for quality assurance and environmental management systems.

How does it work?

The process typically includes:

Schedule a site survey

Get in touch to schedule an inspection during the final year of your current MCERTS certificate or after any significant changes to your flow monitoring system.

On-site assessment

One of our certified MCERTS inspectors will visit your site and assess the flow measurement system to determine whether it meets the MCERTS standard.

Inspection report

Following the inspection you will receive a detailed report covering the installation details, system performance, and any recommended improvements.

Management system audit

Book a management system audit with CSA. The auditor will review the MCERTS management system and produce a second report on their findings.

Certification

Both reports are submitted to CSA.  If compliant, they will issue a new MCERTS certificate valid for 5 years, starting from the expiry date of the previous certificate.

Need help?

We’re here to support you through the entire process from inspection to certification.  Get in touch to organise an MCERTS survey or to discuss your site’s requirements.