The Rivers Trust has warned that the UK risks becoming the ‘dirty man of Europe’ again if it fails to align with tighter standards just adopted by the European Council on sewage treatment and chemical controls to waterways.
The Council has given the final green light for a revised EU Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive. This extends requirement for secondary treatment to smaller agglomerations (population equivalents of 1,000 rather than the previous 2,000) by 2035; covers more pollutants, including micro-pollutants (and through the extended producer responsibility will require producers of cosmetics and pharmaceuticals to pay 80% of additional costs for the quaternary treatment); and introduces an energy neutrality target so that by 2045, plants treating a load of 10,000 population equivalents and above will have to use energy from renewable sources generated by the respective plants. For details, see: https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2024/11/05/urban-wastewater-council-adopts-new-rules-for-more-efficient-treatment/
Tessa Wardley, director of communications and advocacy at The Rivers Trust, said: “Yet again we are in danger of living up to our reputation as the dirty man of Europe. We left the EU with the promise that the government would not weaken environmental protection and that the UK would not fall behind. But this week that is exactly what has happened. The European Council has signed new laws to improve sewage treatment and control chemicals to waterways.
“With 35% of our rivers failing to meet good condition due to treated sewage, and not one meeting good overall status once chemicals are considered, we cannot afford to fall behind our European neighbours. As they embark on their reviews of water management and regulation, Dan Corry and Sir Jon Cunliffe must address the regulatory gap opening up between us and other nations in the EU, and the Government must take urgent action to close it.”
Comments