A retrospective and scenario analysis of Dir. 91/271/EEC
In the context of the REFIT evaluation of the UWWTD, this report contributes to addressing the following evaluation questions:
• To what extent have the objectives of the UWWTD been achieved?
• To what extent are the main pollutants released by urban areas collected and treated?
• What have been the (quantitative and qualitative) effects of the UWWTD?
• To what extent is the UWWTD still relevant to achieve its objectives of protection of the environment from the adverse effects of waste water discharges?
• What would be the most likely consequences of stopping or withdrawing the existing EU intervention?
This study quantifies the reduction of nutrients and organic matter in European waters as a consequence of the implementation of the UWWTD. To this end, we first calculate loads and concentrations of organic matter, measured as 5-days Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5), total nitrogen (N), and total phosphorus (P) in different scenarios representative of the past (before entry into force of the Directive), present and future under assumptions of a full implementation of the Directive. BOD5, N and P are, together with total suspended solids (TSS), specific targets for urban wastewater treatment. In addition, we estimate concentrations of indicator coliforms in European rivers and coastal areas. Coliforms are not a target of the UWWTD, but they are directly relevant for the quality of bathing waters.
Finally, we estimate the reduction of loads of selected micropollutants achieved through implementation of the UWWTD. Micropollutants are also not a target of the UWWTD, but their environmental fate and transport may be very significantly affected by the wastewater treatment system, as many of them are emitted primarily in urban areas and pass through wastewater treatment plants. Quantifying absolute values of the loads of micropollutants in Europe has proven to be a daunting task, far from being achieved even for a limited set of priority substances. However, based on the properties of the substances it is possible to quantify the percentage of the micropollutants entering the wastewater treatment system, which are eventually released in the environment.
PISTOCCHI Alberto;
DORATI Chiara;
GRIZZETTI Bruna;
UDIAS MOINELO Angel;
VIGIAK Olga;
ZANNI Michela;
Pistocchi, A., Dorati, C., Grizzetti, B., Udias Moinelo, A., Vigiak, O. and Zanni, M., Water quality in Europe: effects of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive, EUR 30003 EN, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2019, ISBN 978-92-76-11263-1, doi:10.2760/303163, JRC115607.
2019-12-12
Publications Office of the European Union
JRC115607
978-92-76-11263-1 (online),
1831-9424 (online),
EUR 30003 EN,
OP KJ-NA-30003-EN-N (online),
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC115607,
10.2760/303163 (online),
