Urban Waste Water Directive
Encyclopedia
The Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, full title Council Directive 91/271/EEC of 21 May 1991 concerning urban waste-water treatment is a European Union directive
concerning the "collection, treatment and discharge of urban waste water and the treatment and discharge of waste water from certain industrial sectors".
The directive was adopted on 21 May 1991. Its stated objective is "to protect the environment from the adverse effects of urban waste water discharges and discharges from certain industrial sectors".
The directive requires the collection and treatment of waste water in agglomeration
s with a population equivalent (PE)
of over 2000, and more advanced treatment in agglomerations with a PE
greater than 10,000 in sensitive areas.
bodies, estuaries
and coastal waters which are eutrophic or which may become eutrophic if protective action is not taken"; "surface freshwaters intended for the abstraction of drinking water
which contain or are likely to contain more than 50 mg/l of nitrates"; areas where further treatment is necessary to comply with other directives, such as the directives on fish waters, on bathing waters, on shellfish waters, on the conservation of wild birds and natural habitats, etc. The directive also provides for a derogation
for areas designated as "less sensitive" and such derogations were approved for areas in Portugal.
of over 10,000 where the effluent was being discharged into a sensitive area. By 31 December 1998 member states were required to ensure that waste water treatment facilities were provided for all agglomerations with a PE
of over 15,000, which discharged their effluent into a so called "normal areas" and biodegradable waste water produced by plants of the food-processing sectors listed in the directive, and which discharged directly into receiving water bodies, fulfilled certain conditions.
By 31 December 2005 member states were required to provide collecting and treatment systems in all agglomerations with a PE
between 2000 and 10 000 where the effluent is discharged into a sensitive area, and in all agglomerations with a PE
of 10,000 to 15,000 where the effluent is not discharged into such an area.
In a 2004, Commission report on implementation by the member states, the Commission noted that some member states, in particular France and Spain, had been tardy in providing the required information, and infringement procedures had been initiated.
The report further mentioned a number of concerns regarding implementation in several countries, in particular Spain
's non-provision of any advanced treatment in the catchment areas
of rivers identified as sensitive in their downstream section, such as the Ebro
and the Guadalquivir
; Italy
's implementation (or otherwise) in the catchment area of the Po River
, the delta and adjacent coastal waters; and the United Kingdom
's interpretation and implementation of the directive in regard to the catchment areas of sensitive areas.
According to the 2004 report, most member states planned to achieve conformity with the Directive by 2005 or 2008 at the latest.
Many years after the directive was adopted, considerable variations remained in the provision of sewage treatment in the different member states.
European Union directive
A directive is a legislative act of the European Union, which requires member states to achieve a particular result without dictating the means of achieving that result. It can be distinguished from regulations which are self-executing and do not require any implementing measures. Directives...
concerning the "collection, treatment and discharge of urban waste water and the treatment and discharge of waste water from certain industrial sectors".
The directive was adopted on 21 May 1991. Its stated objective is "to protect the environment from the adverse effects of urban waste water discharges and discharges from certain industrial sectors".
The directive requires the collection and treatment of waste water in agglomeration
Agglomeration
In the study of human settlements, an urban agglomeration is an extended city or town area comprising the built-up area of a central place and any suburbs linked by continuous urban area. In France, INSEE the French Statistical Institute, translate it as "Unité urbaine" which means continuous...
s with a population equivalent (PE)
Population equivalent
Population equivalent or unit per capita loading, , in waste-water treatment is the number expressing the ratio of the sum of the pollution load produced during 24 hours by industrial facilities and services to the individual pollution load in household sewage produced by one person in the same time...
of over 2000, and more advanced treatment in agglomerations with a PE
Population equivalent
Population equivalent or unit per capita loading, , in waste-water treatment is the number expressing the ratio of the sum of the pollution load produced during 24 hours by industrial facilities and services to the individual pollution load in household sewage produced by one person in the same time...
greater than 10,000 in sensitive areas.
Sensitive areas
Sensitive areas, within the meaning of the directive, include "freshwaterFreshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
bodies, estuaries
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
and coastal waters which are eutrophic or which may become eutrophic if protective action is not taken"; "surface freshwaters intended for the abstraction of drinking water
Drinking water
Drinking water or potable water is water pure enough to be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually...
which contain or are likely to contain more than 50 mg/l of nitrates"; areas where further treatment is necessary to comply with other directives, such as the directives on fish waters, on bathing waters, on shellfish waters, on the conservation of wild birds and natural habitats, etc. The directive also provides for a derogation
Derogation
Derogation is the partial revocation of a law, as opposed to abrogation or the total abolition of a law. The term is used in both civil law and common law. It is sometimes used, loosely, to mean abrogation, as in the legal maxim: Lex posterior derogat priori, i.e...
for areas designated as "less sensitive" and such derogations were approved for areas in Portugal.
Implementation
By 31 December 1998 member states were required to ensure that waste water treatment facilities were available for all agglomerations with a PEPopulation equivalent
Population equivalent or unit per capita loading, , in waste-water treatment is the number expressing the ratio of the sum of the pollution load produced during 24 hours by industrial facilities and services to the individual pollution load in household sewage produced by one person in the same time...
of over 10,000 where the effluent was being discharged into a sensitive area. By 31 December 1998 member states were required to ensure that waste water treatment facilities were provided for all agglomerations with a PE
Population equivalent
Population equivalent or unit per capita loading, , in waste-water treatment is the number expressing the ratio of the sum of the pollution load produced during 24 hours by industrial facilities and services to the individual pollution load in household sewage produced by one person in the same time...
of over 15,000, which discharged their effluent into a so called "normal areas" and biodegradable waste water produced by plants of the food-processing sectors listed in the directive, and which discharged directly into receiving water bodies, fulfilled certain conditions.
By 31 December 2005 member states were required to provide collecting and treatment systems in all agglomerations with a PE
Population equivalent
Population equivalent or unit per capita loading, , in waste-water treatment is the number expressing the ratio of the sum of the pollution load produced during 24 hours by industrial facilities and services to the individual pollution load in household sewage produced by one person in the same time...
between 2000 and 10 000 where the effluent is discharged into a sensitive area, and in all agglomerations with a PE
Population equivalent
Population equivalent or unit per capita loading, , in waste-water treatment is the number expressing the ratio of the sum of the pollution load produced during 24 hours by industrial facilities and services to the individual pollution load in household sewage produced by one person in the same time...
of 10,000 to 15,000 where the effluent is not discharged into such an area.
In a 2004, Commission report on implementation by the member states, the Commission noted that some member states, in particular France and Spain, had been tardy in providing the required information, and infringement procedures had been initiated.
The report further mentioned a number of concerns regarding implementation in several countries, in particular Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
's non-provision of any advanced treatment in the catchment areas
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
of rivers identified as sensitive in their downstream section, such as the Ebro
Ebro
The Ebro or Ebre is one of the most important rivers in the Iberian Peninsula. It is the biggest river by discharge volume in Spain.The Ebro flows through the following cities:*Reinosa in Cantabria.*Miranda de Ebro in Castile and León....
and the Guadalquivir
Guadalquivir
The Guadalquivir is the fifth longest river in the Iberian peninsula and the second longest river to be its whole length in Spain. The Guadalquivir is 657 kilometers long and drains an area of about 58,000 square kilometers...
; Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
's implementation (or otherwise) in the catchment area of the Po River
Po River
The Po |Ligurian]]: Bodincus or Bodencus) is a river that flows either or – considering the length of the Maira, a right bank tributary – eastward across northern Italy, from a spring seeping from a stony hillside at Pian del Re, a flat place at the head of the Val Po under the northwest face...
, the delta and adjacent coastal waters; and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's interpretation and implementation of the directive in regard to the catchment areas of sensitive areas.
According to the 2004 report, most member states planned to achieve conformity with the Directive by 2005 or 2008 at the latest.
Political significance
The Urban Waste Water Directive marked a shift from legislation aimed at end-use standards to stricter legislation aimed at regulating water quality at the source. The directive applied both to domestic waste water and to waste water from industrial sectors, both of which account for much of the pollution. It also demonstrated the increasingly detailed nature of European Union legislation and resulted in significant costs in many member states.Many years after the directive was adopted, considerable variations remained in the provision of sewage treatment in the different member states.