Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive
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The Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWT) (Council Directive 91/271/EEC) was adopted on 21 May 1991. The Directive concerns the collection, treatment and discharge of urban waste water and the treatment and discharge of certain industrial waste waters. Its aim is to protect the environment from the adverse effects of insufficiently treated urban waste water discharges and discharges of industrial waste water from food-processing industries.
Contents
Objectives and requirements
- Collection and treatment of waste water (including industrial waste waters) in all agglomerations with a population equivalent > 2000.
- Secondary treatment (i.e. biological treatment) as rule; more stringent treatment in sensitive areas and their catchments for agglomerations > 10000 p.e.
- Permit procedure for treatment plants, for discharges from the agro-food industry ( > 4000 p.e.) and for industrial discharges from urban waste water sewerage systems.
- Monitoring of performance on treatment plants and affected waters and controls on sewage sludge disposal / reuse.
Timeframe
Deadline | Task |
31 December 1993 |
|
31 December 1998 |
|
31 December 2000 |
|
31 December 2005 |
|
Obligations
The regulations have obligations for local authorities in respect of the collection, treatment and monitoring of urban waste water.
Planning
- Identify agglomerations and calculate the size (p.e.).
- Inventory and current status (size, collecting systems, treatment level, monitoring systems, sludge management) of agglomerations > 2000 p.e.
- Designate sensitive areas and identify their relevant hydraulic catchment areas and ensure that all discharges from agglomerations > 10000 p.e. located within the catchment must have collecting systems and more stringent treatment.
- Establish less sensitive areas.
- Establish a technical and financial programme for the construction of sewage collecting systems and waste water treatment plants.
Regulation
Monitoring
Information and reporting
References
Text of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive [1]