What is the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD) and what does it stipulate?
The UWWTD aims to protect the environment from the adverse impacts of insufficiently-treated urban wastewater. It assumes that all urban wastewater is collected and treated to so-called ‘secondary’ standards. It does recognise that untreated storm overflows are sometimes necessary, but obliges member states to take action to limit their impact, where possible. The UWWTD also specifies a minimum quality of treated effluent.
The Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD) concerns the collection, treatment and discharge of urban wastewater and the treatment and discharge of wastewater from certain industrial sectors. The objective of the Directive is to protect the environment from the adverse effects of those waste water discharges. The Urban Wastewater Treatment Regulations 1994 transpose the UWWTD into English law. The regulations impose a duty on sewage undertakers to provide and maintain adequate collecting systems and treatment plants, in addition to their duties under other legislation, including the Water Industry Act 1991. The design, construction and maintenance of collecting systems must be undertaken in accordance with the best technical knowledge not entailing excessive costs, notably regarding volume and characteristics of urban wastewater, prevention of leaks, and limitation of pollution of receiving waters due to storm water overflows.
