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Summaries of EU Legislation

Urban waste water treatment (until 2027)

SUMMARY OF:

Directive 91/271/EEC – urban wastewater treatment

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE DIRECTIVE?

  • Directive 91/271/EEC aims to protect the environment in the European Union (EU) from the adverse effects (such as eutrophication1) of urban wastewater
  • It sets out EU-wide rules for collection, treatment and wastewater discharge. The law also covers wastewater generated by industries such as the agro-food industries (like food-processing and brewing).

KEY POINTS

  • EU Member States must:
    • collect and treat wastewater in urban settlements with a population of at least 2,000 and apply secondary treatment2 on the collected wastewaters;
    • apply more advanced treatment in urban settlements with populations over 10,000 located in designated sensitive areas3;
    • guarantee that treatment plants are properly maintained, so as to ensure sufficient performance, and can operate under all normal weather conditions;
    • take measures to limit the pollution of receiving waters from storm water overflows under extreme situations, such as unusually heavy rain;
    • monitor the performance of treatment plants and receiving waters;
    • monitor sewage sludge disposal and re-use.
  • As well as outlining methods for the monitoring and evaluation of results, Annex I lists general requirements for:
    • collecting systems;
    • discharges from urban wastewater treatment plants, including emission limit values for these;
    • industrial wastewater discharged into urban collecting systems.
  • Annex II describes the criteria for the identification of sensitive and less sensitive areas.

Repeal

Directive 91/271/EEC will be repealed and replaced by Directive (EU) 2024/3019 (see summary) as of . However, some rules will continue to apply thereafter.

FROM WHEN DOES THE DIRECTIVE APPLY?

From , with several different deadlines for the various requirements. In 1998, the Commission adopted Directive 98/15/EC to clarify some of the rules due to differing interpretations in Member States. This came into force on . Other deadlines apply to countries that joined the EU from 2004 onwards. These are specified in the Accession Treaties with each of the countries concerned.

BACKGROUND

For more information, see:

KEY TERMS

  1. Eutrophication. Enrichment of water by nutrients causing, among other things, an accelerated growth of algae which disturb the balance of water organisms and the water quality.
  2. Secondary treatment. A process generally involving biological treatment, so that the requirements in Annex I of the Directive are accomplished.
  3. Sensitive areas. Natural waters which are found to be or may become eutrophic in the near future if protective action is not taken, or those which need more advance treatment to reach compliance with other EU directives (e.g., the Bathing Water Directive).

MAIN DOCUMENT

Council Directive 91/271/EEC of concerning urban wastewater treatment (OJ L 135, , pp. 40–52).

Successive amendments to Directive 91/271/EEC have been incorporated in the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.

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