EU Parliament and Council reach agreement on revision of urban wastewater treatment directive

Brussels – Negotiators from the EU Parliament and Council reached a provisional political agreement today (Jan. 29) on the review proposal of the urban wastewater treatment directive, one of the main outcomes of the EU zero pollution action plan. The goal is to extend the scope of the directive and align it with the goals of the Green Deal, introducing a deadline to achieve energy neutrality in the sector, but also an extended producer responsibility scheme to ensure a fair contribution of the most polluting sectors to wastewater treatment for micropollutants.

On wastewater treatment, the agreement extends to all agglomerations with at least 1,000 population equivalents the obligation by 2035 to subject municipal wastewater to secondary treatment (i.e., removal of biodegradable organic matter) before discharging it into the environment. Member states will have to ensure the implementation of tertiary treatment (i.e., the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus) and quaternary treatment (i.e., the removal of a broad spectrum of micropollutants) by 2039 and 2045, respectively, in the largest plants with a population equivalent of 150 thousand or more, with interim targets in 2033 and 2036 for tertiary treatment and 2033 and 2039 for quaternary treatment.

On the level of energy neutrality and renewables, the co-legislators introduced a 2045 target by which municipal wastewater treatment plants will have to produce energy from renewable sources, based on regular energy audits, with progressive interim targets. Energy can be produced inside or outside the plant and up to 35 percent of non-fossil energy can be purchased from outside sources. The tentative agreement will now have to be confirmed by both co-legislators.