Polski
On April 10, 2024. The European Parliament has approved amendments to regulations on the collection, treatment and disposal of municipal wastewater. The adopted resolution provides for an update of the 1991 document. The Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive will be amended by expanding its scope and aligning it with the goals of the European Green Deal. The legislation is one of the key initiatives under the EU’s zero pollution action plan for air, water and soil.
Directive on the treatment of urban waste water
The legal framework for the collection, treatment and discharge of municipal wastewater is set by Council Directive 91/271/EEC, which was adopted on May 21, 1991. After more than three decades, it has been revised to align with current EU policy goals of climate action, circular economy and pollution reduction. Over the past 30 years, water quality in the EU has improved tremendously, among other things. thanks to EU regulations on the treatment of urban wastewater. From the 2019 exercise. by the European Commission’s assessment of EU regulations shows that the rate of wastewater collection and treatment in the EU is almost 100 percent. More than 90 percent. wastewater is subject to treatment based on the high standards stipulated by EU law.
As new pollutants have emerged since the adoption of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive that have not yet been included in the regulations, as well as new solutions to reduce the energy intensity of water treatment and make better use of treatment data, the European Commission presented in October 2022. proposal for its amendment. The basis for the changes is the one completed in 2019. evaluation of the legislation, which highlights the tangible results achieved by the directive, as well as the challenges that still need to be addressed.
All 27 member states agreed on their position at the Council in October 2023. So is the European Parliament. In January 2024. The Council and Parliament have reached a preliminary political agreement on the European Commission’s proposal, as we wrote about in a previous article in Water Matters: Municipal Wastewater – Council and Parliament agreement on treatment and monitoring.
Key changes to the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive
According to the new directive, member states will ensure that all sources of domestic wastewater are connected to collection systems in agglomerations with a p.e. of at least 2,000. For agglomerations with a p.e. between 1,000. and 2 thousand. The said requirement will have to be met by December 31, 2035. In turn, by the end of 2039. Member states will upgrade municipal wastewater treatment plants operating with a load of at least 150,000. p.e. to meet EU requirements for tertiary treatment (i.e., nitrogen and phosphorus removal). By 2045. The same rules will cover treatment plants with 10,000. RLM and above.
Additional treatment to remove a broad spectrum of micropollutants (fourth stage treatment) will be mandatory for all treatment plants above 150,000. P.E. and above 10,000. RLM based on risk assessment by 2045. By December 31, 2033. Member states will establish integrated urban wastewater management plans in the catchment areas of agglomerations with a p.e. of at least 100,000. By December 31, 2027. Member states will compile and publish a list of areas sensitive to eutrophication, including whether they are phosphorus and/or nitrogen sensitive. In addition, they are required to update the census every six years, starting December 31, 2033.
Member States with regard to extended producer responsibility shall take measures to ensure that marketers of products listed in Annex III to the Directive bear extended responsibility for their neutralization. They will be required to cover at least 80 percent. The full cost of fourth-stage cleanup. An additional obligation under the directive will be for member states to systematically support and promote the reuse, where appropriate, of treated wastewater from all treatment plants, especially in water-scarce areas.
Directive on the treatment of municipal wastewater in Poland
The Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive is introduced into Polish law by a number of legal acts, most notably the Law of July 20, 2017. – Water Law. In Poland, the degree of implementation of the Wastewater Directive is documented by the National Urban Wastewater Treatment Program (KPOŚK) and its updates (AKPOŚK). This document is a list of agglomerations that must be equipped with combined sewer systems and wastewater treatment plants by the dates specified in the Program.
