| Author (Corporate) | European Commission |
|---|---|
| Series Title | COM |
| Series Details | (2013) 574 final (7.8.13) |
| Publication Date | 07/08/2013 |
| Content Type | Policy-making, Report |
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The Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (hereinafter “the Directive”) is one of the major water policy tools in Europe. Its objective is to protect the environment from the adverse effects of discharges of urban waste water from settlement areas (cities/towns) and of biodegradable industrial waste water from the agro-food sector (e.g. milk processing industry, meat industry, breweries etc.). The Directive requires the appropriate collection of sewage and regulates discharges of waste water by specifying the minimum type of treatment to be provided and setting maximum emission limit values or the major pollutants (organic load and nutrients). Full implementation of the Directive is a pre-requisite for meeting the environmental objectives set out in the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Implementation of this Directive has been challenging mainly because of the financial and planning aspects related to major infrastructure investment such as sewerage systems and treatment facilities. Low levels of implementation can lead to organic pollution in rivers and lakes and also to the accumulation of excessive nutrient loads (eutrophication) especially affecting lakes, coastal and marine waters which are particularly sensitive. According to the recently published WFD implementation report, point source pollution was still a significant pressure in 22% of EU water bodies. Eutrophication remained a major threat in about 30% of water bodies in 17 Member States. Untreated or insufficiently treated waste water discharges significantly contribute to these problems. Wastewater pollution can also accelerate biodiversity loss and deteriorate drinking water supplies or bathing waters, causing public health concerns. These include outbreaks of water-borne diseases, especially linked to small water supplies, diseases due to exposure to contaminated bathing water (organic pollution, pollution by algal bloom due to excess of nutrients) or the consumption of contaminated seafood, etc. These impacts may also entail negative consequences for economic sectors such as the tourism or the shellfish farming industry. The implementation efforts of the Member States have already led to significant improvements in waste water treatment. As a consequence, water quality in Europe has improved significantly in recent decades and effects of pollutants have decreased. However, implementation is far from being completed and pollution problems persist. This 7th Report on the implementation of the Directive describes the progress made up to the end of 2009/2010. The Report also includes trends in compliance and presents the new approach for "compliance promotion" and its steps towards public information and reporting. In addition to this Report, an Annex with Tables and a more detailed technical report is available. |
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| Source Link | http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2013:574:FIN |
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| Subject Categories | Environment |
| Countries / Regions | Europe |
