In January 2024, the EU Council and Parliament came to a provisional political agreement. This was to review the existing urban wastewater directive in favour of more thorough and cost-effective wastewater management for the 27 member states. Here, we look at that agreement and what it could mean for wastewater treatment plants.
Urban Wastewater Directive
The Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive is one of the key pillars of the EU’s zero-pollution action plan. However, an evaluation conducted in 2019 found that, whilst 92% of wastewater was being dealt with in line with EU standards, there were still improvements that could be made.1
What is changing?
The new revisions will introduce significant additions and amendments to the Directive. These include:
> the implementation of ‘the polluter pays’ principle to target the most polluting industries
> the increased requirement for greater resource recovery from wastewater to promote a circular economy
> the alignment of the water industry with the EU’s energy neutrality targets
> the utilisation of wastewater to track and monitor public health.
For any teams concerned about these changes, rest assured that Veolia Water Technologies offers the technological innovation and proven expertise to provide the necessary support. Here we take a look at some of the additions and amendments in more detail – and how we can really help to add value.
Circular practices in water reuse and sludge management
The revision proposes that sludge treatment and water recovery should be enacted in accordance with the Waste Framework Directive and Sludge Directive. Increased wastewater and sludge reuse has the potential to alleviate pressure on natural freshwater resources and provide important nutrients, such as phosphorus and nitrogen for crop fertilisation.
Veolia Water Technologies has been playing an active role in championing water reuse across Europe for many years but as water scarcity increases, so does the need for pragmatic solutions.
One example is the groundbreaking Jourdain programme in France. Located in the water-stressed region of Vendée, Veolia Water Technologies provided specialised technology that aims to refill the Jaunay reservoir with reclaimed water from a nearby wastewater treatment plant. To assist France's first wastewater-to-drinking-water facility, we installed The Barrel™, a modular innovation that utilises reverse osmosis and nanofiltration membrane technologies for industrial and municipal applications.
The target is to reuse 1,500,000 m³ out of 4,500,000 m³ of the city's wastewater between 2023 and 2025, gradually increasing the capacity to reuse 2-3,000,000 m³ by 2027. This showcases Veolia's efforts in addressing water scarcity challenges and supporting France's goal of increasing wastewater reuse from 1% to 10% within five years.
Energy neutrality
The revisions also seek to more actively engage the water treatment sector in the EU’s greenhouse gas emission goals. To this end, an energy neutrality target has been proposed: by 2045 urban wastewater treatment plants will have to produce all their energy from renewable sources.
However, the water treatment industry can play an active role in producing sustainable fuel for use – and beyond its own processes. In theory, wastewater contains between 5 and 10 times more potential energy than that needed for its treatment2. Whilst not all of this may be recoverable, it is possible for the largest WWTPs to be net energy producers.
Veolia Water Technologies’ subsidiary OTV was the first to put this theory into practice, helping to establish France’s first energy-positive wastewater treatment plant in Cagnes-sur-Mer. Not only does this facility draw energy from renewable sources such as solar and heat pumps, but it also produces biomethane for resale into the surrounding gas network, supplying the energy needed to power 1,000 homes.3
Extended producer responsibility
To support these additional environmental targets, the revisions to the Wastewater Directive will also introduce ‘the polluter pays’ principle into the water industry for the first time. This will see the industries responsible for the presence of organic micropollutants in wastewater – namely pharmaceuticals and cosmetics – pay at least 80% of the cost of quaternary water treatment for micropollutants4. This will require significant investment into existing wastewater infrastructure but ensure that pollutants such as pharmaceutical residues do not accumulate and detrimentally impact human health or ecological balance.
Veolia Water Technologies has considerable experience using technological ingenuity to provide micropollutant reduction. However, it is also possible to reduce micropollutants at the source. For instance, Veolia Water Technologies collaborated with a prominent global healthcare company operating in Poland who are focused on innovative pharmaceutical manufacturing. The client utilised Veolia Water Technologies’ Evaled PC solution to streamline their capsule printing process, achieving an impressive water reuse rate of approximately 94%, with a distillate containing less than 10 µg/l of dutasteride. This success story highlights Veolia Water Technologies' prowess in customising sustainable water treatment solutions for the pharmaceutical industry. By significantly reducing waste and optimising water resources, Veolia Water Technologies contributes not only to environmental goals but also to enhanced operational efficiency for its clients.5
Monitoring public health parameters
Finally, the revision also actively involves the water industry in the monitoring and prediction of the spread of infectious diseases. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of wastewater monitoring was demonstrated as a way to track and predict the spread of the virus. To this end, the revision will require countries to monitor the levels of infectious diseases such as the SARS-Cov-2 virus, polio, influenza and other pathogens going forward.
Should the revisions to the EU Urban Wastewater Directive be adopted in full, it will create a significant opportunity for the wastewater industry to lead the way in reducing pollution, promoting a circular economy and pushing for net zero. Veolia Water Technologies and our team of experts can help your facility to meet and exceed these new obligations. Find out more about our municipal solutions here and our solutions for industrial applications here.
