🌍💼What legislation controls micropollutants in water and evaluates wastewater treatment effectiveness and water quality? 📉🌍Legislati...
Published on by Hossein Ataei Far, Deputy Manager of the Research, Technology Development, and Industry Relations Center at NWWEC
🌍Legislation controlling micropollutants in water and evaluating wastewater treatment effectiveness and water quality is a critical concern, particularly in Europe.
🔎European legislation, including Directive 2000/60/EC and Directive 2008/105/EC, aims to prevent water pollution and identify priority substances.
🔎The European Union is working on addressing contaminants of emerging concern, although predicting future wastewater treatment strategies is complex.
🔎The Water Framework Directive establishes goals for a "good chemical status" of water bodies, addressing chemical pollution.
🔎Research focuses on European and Swiss micropollution policies concerning the Rhine River basin due to its large size, economic activities, agriculture, dense population, and associated pollution risks.
🔎The International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine (ICPR) has been addressing pollution issues, including micropollution, since the 1960s.
🔎Wastewater treatment requirements are outlined in Directive 91/271/EEC.
Policies like the Water Framework Directive have been implemented to address water quality issues, but many substances remain unregulated.
🔎Regulations cover only a limited number of micropollutants, leaving many compounds and their degradation products unregulated.
🔎The ongoing revision of the Urban Wastewater Directive acknowledges the challenge of emerging chemical concerns.
🌍Introduction to the Urban Wastewater Directive:
▶️The directive has improved water quality in Europe with a 90% compliance rate.
▶️Pollution from micropollutants and microplastics remains unregulated.
▶️The revised directive focuses on a circular economy, energy neutrality, extended producer responsibility, and monitoring.
▶️It aligns with the European Green Deal's zero pollution goal.
▶️The directive proposes limits on 13 micropollutants.
▶️An 80% removal target must be met for at least 6 substances.
▶️Compliance with the target is determined by the average removal percentage for all substances.
🌍 EU lawmakers adopted on Thursday (5 October 2023) a new position on the wastewater management directive, aiming to shift some responsibility for treating water pollution from polluters to national authorities while safeguarding access to medicines.
🌍The following figure displays the planned activities for micropollutants (derived from the amended Directive and proposal's Annex).
References:
[1]. Abily. Morgan et al, (2023).
[2]. Metz. Florence et al, (2014).
[3]. Emma Undeman et al, (2022).
[4]. https://lnkd.in/g2kkQTVY
[5]. https://www.euractiv.com
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