Interesting article in Smart Water Magazine, which looks at the implications of the new EU wastewater directive, approved by the European Parliament in April this year.

The Directive covers the treatment requirements for the removal of micropollutants, i.e., substances present in very low concentrations. It proposes their removal through quaternary treatment in Article 8, mandatory for wastewater treatment plants treating a load ≥ 150,000 population equivalents (p.e.), as well as treatment plants treating a load of more than 10,000 p.e. if there is a risk of micropollutant accumulation in the aquatic environment, according to a gradual implementation schedule with 100% of discharges subject to treatment by December 31, 2045.

Additionally, the new directive introduces the “polluter pays” principle with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). This is a novel mechanism in the water sector but already used in the waste sector for packaging, for example. The producer of a product that causes environmental damage, which then needs to be disposed of or recycled, must pay for the amount of product they place on the market, and that money would be used to finance recycling, or in this case, the costs of removal through quaternary treatment.

According to the Commission, the pharmaceuticals and cosmetics sectors are jointly responsible for up to 92% of the toxic load in wastewater, so these sectors will have to finance the installation of quaternary treatments, in addition to their operating and monitoring costs.

Read the whole article here