DIFFUSE POLLUTION FROM ON-SITE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS - LEGAL CONTROLS, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO SWEDEN

Although the EC Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) deals with discharges from waste-water treatment plants, it applies only to urban plants above a certain capacity. The impact of numerous small on-site treatment plants (eg septic tanks), especially in rural areas, was largely ignored...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Water Law 2008-01, Vol.19 (5), p.195-199
Main Authors: Sandberg, J, Howsam, P
Format: Article
Language:English
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Although the EC Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) deals with discharges from waste-water treatment plants, it applies only to urban plants above a certain capacity. The impact of numerous small on-site treatment plants (eg septic tanks), especially in rural areas, was largely ignored until the advent of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The WFD highlights the importance of controlling diffuse pollution and its contribution to eutrophication. Article 11 requires that 'measures to prevent or control the input of pollutants' must be taken. Many Member States are currently having to identify (a) the scope and impact of diffuse pollution from septic tanks and (b) effective measures to control it. While understanding of the significance of pollution from small scale domestic on-site treatment plants has been relatively limited, water pollution and eutrophication in particular are not new issues in Europe. Eutrophication of coastal waters has been recognised for some time and has been addressed at a regional level under a variety of international conventions, including Helsinki, OSPAR and Barcelona.
ISSN:1478-5277