1Directive (EU) 2024/3019 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2024 concerning urban wastewater treatment (recast)Text with EEA relevance.

When Member States adopt those measures, they shall contain a reference to this Directive or be accompanied by such a reference on the occasion of their official publication. They shall also include a statement that references in existing laws, regulations and administrative provisions to the Directive repealed by this Directive shall be construed as references to this Directive. Member States shall determine how such reference is to be made and how that statement is to be formulated.

1. Member States shall communicate to the Commission the text of the main measures of national law which they adopt in the field covered by this Directive.

Article 34

Entry into force and application

This Directive shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Articles 12 and 13 and Annexes II and IV shall apply from 1 August 2027.

Article 35

Addressees

This Directive is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Strasbourg, 27 November 2024.

For the European Parliament

The President

R. Metsola

For the Council

The President

Bóka J.

Annex

ANNEX I

REQUIREMENTS FOR URBAN WASTEWATER

Part A

Collecting systems

Collecting systems shall take into account urban wastewater treatment requirements.

The design, construction and maintenance of collecting systems shall be undertaken in accordance with the best technical knowledge not entailing excessive costs, in particular regarding:

volume and characteristics of urban wastewater,

prevention of leaks of urban wastewater, infiltration and misconnected inflow into the collecting systems,

limitation of pollution of receiving waters due to storm water overflows, considering the relevant requirements in Article 5 and Annex V.

Part B

Discharge from urban wastewater treatment plants to receiving waters

1. Urban wastewater treatment plants shall be designed or modified so that representative samples of the incoming wastewater and of treated effluent can be obtained before discharge to receiving waters.

1. Discharges from urban wastewater treatment plants and urban wastewater treatment plants serving agglomerations referred to in Articles 6, 7 and 8 shall meet the requirements in Table 1 of this Annex.

1. Discharges from urban wastewater treatment plants referred to in Article 7(1) or from urban wastewater treatment plants serving agglomerations referred to in Article 7(3) shall, in addition to the requirements referred to in point 2, meet the requirements in Table 2 of this Annex, except in cases where Article 7(8) is applied.

1. Discharges from urban wastewater treatment plants referred to in Article 8(1) or from urban wastewater treatment plants serving agglomerations referred to in Article 8(4) shall meet the requirements set out in Table 3 of this Annex.

1. Prior regulations and specific authorisations for discharges from urban wastewater treatment plants using biomedia shall include:

a description of the technologies incorporating biomedia used in the treatment carried out by the urban wastewater treatment plant, including the type and volume of biomedia used in the plant and a description of the measures taken to avoid releases of biomedia into the environment;

an obligation to permanently monitor and prevent all biomedia releases into the environment;

an obligation to report without delay any significant releases of biomedia into receiving waters to competent authorities.

1. Requirements that are more stringent than those set out in Tables 1, 2 and 3 shall be applied where necessary to ensure that the receiving waters fulfil the requirements laid down in Directives 2000/60/EC, 2008/56/EC, 2008/105/EC and 2006/7/EC.

1. The points of discharge of urban wastewater shall be chosen, as far as possible, so as to minimise harmful effects on receiving waters.

Part C

Methods for monitoring and evaluation of results

1. Member States shall ensure that a monitoring method is applied which fulfils the requirements set out in points 2 to 5. Where relevant, all methods of analysis shall comply with the same minimum performance criteria as those defined in Directive 2009/90/EC and other relevant rules.

Alternative methods to those referred to in points 2, 3 and 4 may be used provided that it can be demonstrated that equivalent results are obtained.

Member States shall provide the Commission with all relevant information concerning the applied monitoring method.

1. Flow-proportional or time-based 24-hour samples shall be collected at the same well-defined point in the outlet and, if necessary, in the inlet of the urban wastewater treatment plant. However, any time-based samples used to monitor micropollutants shall be 48-hour samples.

Good international laboratory practices aiming at minimising the degradation of samples between collection and analysis shall be applied.

1. The minimum annual number of samples shall be determined according to the size of the treatment plant and be collected at regular intervals during the year:

1000 to 9999 p.e.:One sample per month (see Note 1)10000 to 49999 p.e.:

Two samples per month

For micropollutants, one sample per month

50000 to 149999 p.e.:

One sample per week.

For micropollutants, two samples per month

150000 p.e. or above:

Two samples per week

For micropollutants, two samples per month

Note 1: For agglomerations concerned by seasonal activity, intervals of a maximum of two months without sampling are accepted provided that additional samples are taken during the months of seasonal activity. A total of 12 samples shall be taken throughout the year.

1. The treated urban wastewater shall be assumed to conform to the relevant parameters if, for each relevant parameter considered individually, samples of the water show that it complies with the relevant parametric value in the following way:

(a) for the parameters specified in Tables 1 and 3, a maximum number of samples which are allowed to fail the requirements, expressed in concentrations or percentage reductions, or both, is specified in Table 4;

(b) for the parameters specified in Table 1 expressed in concentrations, the failing samples taken under normal operating conditions must not deviate from the parametric values by more than 100 %, except for the parameter total suspended solids, for which deviations from the parametric values of up to 150 % may be accepted;

(c) for the parameters specified in Table 2, the annual mean of the samples for each parameter conforms to the relevant parametric values set out in that table; the values for concentration or for the minimum percentage of reduction apply;

(d) for the parameters specified in Table 3, the frequency of sampling referred to in Part C, point 3, means that one sample is taken in the inlet and one sample is taken in the outlet of the urban wastewater treatment plant in order to verify compliance with the minimum percentage of removal of Table 3; the average percentage of removal of all substances used in the calculation is used in order to assess whether the required 80 % minimum percentage of removal has been reached.

1. The samples shall be taken so that they reflect the pollution during dry weather flow. Extreme values for the water quality in question shall not be taken into consideration when they are the result of unusual situations due to heavy rain.

1. Analyses concerning discharges from lagooning shall be carried out on filtered samples; however, the concentration of total suspended solids in unfiltered water samples of such discharges shall not exceed 150 mg/l.

Table 1: Requirements for discharges from urban waste water treatment plants subject to Article 6 of this Directive. The values for concentration or for the percentage of reduction shall apply.

ParametersConcentrationMinimum percentage of reduction (see Note 4)Reference method of measurementBiochemical oxygen demand (BOD5 at 20 oC) without nitrification (see Note 1)25 mg/l O2

70-90

40 under Article 6(4)

Homogenised, unfiltered, undecanted sample. Determination of dissolved oxygen before and after five-day incubation at 20 oC ± 1 oC, in complete darkness. Addition of a nitrification inhibitorChemical oxygen demand (COD) (see Note 2)125 mg/l O275Homogenised, unfiltered, undecanted sample Potassium dichromateTotal Organic Carbon (see Note 2)37 mg/l75EN 1484Total suspended solids35 mg/l (see Note 3)90 (see Note 3)

Filtering of a representative sample through a 0,45 μm filter membrane. Drying at 105 oC and weighing

Centrifuging of a representative sample (for at least five mins with mean acceleration of 2800 to 3200 g), drying at 105 oC and weighing

Note 1: The parameter can be replaced by another parameter: total organic carbon (TOC) or total oxygen demand (TOD) if a relationship can be established between BOD5 and the substitute parameter.

Note 2: Member States shall measure either the Chemical oxygen demand (COD) or the Total Organic Carbon.

Note 3: This requirement is optional.

Note 4: Reduction in relation to the load of the influent.

Table 2: Requirements for tertiary treatment of discharges from urban wastewater treatment plants referred to in Article 7(1) or from urban waste water treatment plants serving agglomerations referred to in Article 7(3). For discharges from urban wastewater treatment plants referred to in Article 7(1), both parameters shall apply. For agglomerations referred to in Article 7(3), one or both parameters may be applied depending on the local situation. The values for concentration or for the percentage of reduction shall apply.

ParametersConcentration

Minimum percentage of reduction

(see Notes 1 and 2)

Reference method of measurementTotal phosphorus (see Note 4)

0,7 mg/l (10000 p.e. and above but below 150000 p.e.)

0,5 mg/l (150000 p.e. and above)

87,5 (10000 p.e. and above but below 150000 p.e.)

90 (150000 p.e. and above)

Molecular absorption spectrophotometry

Total nitrogen (see Note 4)

10 mg/l (10000 p.e. and above but below 150000 p.e.)

8 mg/l (150000 p.e. and above)

(see Note 5)

80

(see Note 3)

Molecular absorption spectrophotometry

Note 1: Reduction in relation to the load of the influent or to the load generated in an agglomeration if the same level of environmental protection can be ensured.

Note 2: If a fraction of treated urban wastewater is used for agricultural irrigation, nutrients in that fraction may be included in the calculation of the influent load and be excluded from the discharged load.

Note 3: In exceptional situations due to specific local circumstances, natural nitrogen retention may be taken into account in the calculation of the minimum percentage reduction in Member States where natural nitrogen retention was taken into account in the calculation of the minimum percentage reduction of nitrogen referred to under Table 2 of Annex I to Directive 91/271/EEC and where it is demonstrated that part of the nitrogen originated from urban wastewater can be eliminated in the receiving waters until 31 December 2037 for the calculation of the minimum percentage reduction of nitrogen referred to in Table 2 of this Annex if all the following conditions are fulfilled:

(1) the average hydraulic retention time of the discharged effluent is at least 1,5 years before it reaches the area sensitive to nitrogen designated under Article 7(2);

(2) a continuous monitoring and assessment programme of the total nitrogen parameter is ensured:

(a) in the outlets of all urban wastewater treatment plants and where relevant in the urban runoff from agglomerations of 10000 p.e. and above located in the catchment area of the area sensitive to nitrogen designated under Article 7(2);

(b) in the relevant inlets of the area designated under Article 7(2);

(c) at the representative sampling locations in the receiving waters and relevant water bodies in the catchment area of the area designated under Article 7(2);

(3) the minimum percentage reduction for nitrogen of Table 2 is met; that percentage shall be calculated on the basis of the data collected from continuous monitoring and assessment programme referred to in point (2);

(4) it can be demonstrated that nitrogen releases from urban wastewater treatment plants in the catchment area are not harmful for the environment, including for biodiversity, and human health and do not modify the ecosystem;

(5) the concentration of nutrients in the areas referred to in point (c) of condition (2) are compliant with the condition set under Annex V.1.2.1 to Directive 2000/60/EC to define good ecological status of those areas;

(6) the use of natural nitrogen retention is reported to the Commission in accordance with Article 22(1)(a), as well as to potentially affected neighbouring Member States, together with all the elements necessary to verify that conditions (1), (2), (3), (4) and (5) are fulfilled.

Note 4: This requirement shall apply on 1 January 2025 to existing urban wastewater treatment plants obliged to meet the deadlines established under Article 7(1) and to agglomerations under Article 7(3). Until those deadlines are met, the obligations of Article 32(3) shall apply to those urban wastewater treatment plants.

Note 5: Where the temperature in the effluent of the biological reactor is below 12 oC, the results of the samples taken may be excluded from the calculation of the annual mean for nitrogen as referred to in point (4)(c) of Part C of this Annex where all the following can be demonstrated:

(1) no adverse effect on the environment is ensured;

(2) excessive costs or excessive energy consumption would be required to reach the values for nitrogen in Table 2.

Where the temperature in the effluent of the biological reactor is below 5 oC the results of the samples taken may be excluded from the calculation of the annual mean for nitrogen as referred to in point (4)(c) of Part C of this Annex.

Table 3: Requirements for quaternary treatment of discharges from urban wastewater treatment plants referred to in Article 8(1) and or from urban wastewater treatment plants serving agglomerations referred to in Article 8(4).

IndicatorsMinimum percentage of removal in relation to the load of the influentSubstances that can pollute water even at low concentrations (see Note 1)80 % (see Note 2)

Note 1: The concentration of the organic substances referred to in points (a) and (b) shall be measured.

(a) Category 1 (substances that can be very easily treated):

(i) Amisulprid (CAS No 71675-85-9),

(ii) Carbamazepine (CAS No 298-46-4),

(iii) Citalopram (CAS No 59729-33-8),

(iv) Clarithromycin (CAS No 81103-11-9),

(v) Diclofenac (CAS No 15307-86-5),

(vi) Hydrochlorothiazide (CAS No 58-93-5),

(vii) Metoprolol (CAS No 37350-58-6),

(viii) Venlafaxine (CAS No 93413-69-5);

(b) Category 2 (substances that can be easily disposed of):

(i) Benzotriazole (CAS No 95-14-7),

(ii) Candesartan (CAS No 139481-59-7),

(iii) Irbesartan (CAS No 138402-11-6),

(iv) mixture of 4-Methylbenzotriazole (CAS No 29878-31-7) and 5-methyl-benzotriazole (CAS No 136-85-6).

Note 2: The percentage of removal shall be calculated on dry weather flow for at least six substances. The number of substances in category 1 shall be twice the number of substances in category 2. If fewer than six substances can be measured in sufficient concentration, the competent authority shall designate other substances to calculate the minimum percentage of removal when it is necessary. The average of the specific percentages of removal of all single substances used in the calculation shall be used in order to assess whether the required 80 % minimum percentage of removal has been reached.

Table 4: Requirement for samples

Series of samples taken in any yearMaximum permitted number of samples which fail to conform4-718-16217-28329-40441-53554-67668-81782-95896-1109111-12510126-14011141-15512156-17113172-18714188-20315204-21916220-23517236-25118252-26819269-28420285-30021301-31722318-33423335-35024351-36525

Annex

ANNEX II

AREAS SENSITIVE TO EUTROPHICATION

1. Areas located in the catchments of the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea, the North Sea and the Adriatic Sea identified as sensitive to eutrophication under Directive 2008/56/EC or 2000/60/EC.

1. Natural freshwater lakes, other freshwater bodies, estuaries and coastal waters which are found to be eutrophic or which in the near future may become eutrophic if protective action is not taken.

The following elements shall be taken into account when considering which nutrient should be reduced by further treatment:

(a) lakes and streams reaching lakes/reservoirs/closed bays which are found to have a poor water exchange, whereby accumulation may take place. In those areas, the removal of phosphorus should be included unless it can be demonstrated that the removal will have no effect on the level of eutrophication. Where discharges from large agglomerations are made, the removal of nitrogen may also be considered;

(b) estuaries, bays and other coastal waters which are found to have a poor water exchange, or which receive large quantities of nutrients. Discharges from small agglomerations are usually of minor importance in those areas, but for large agglomerations, the removal of phosphorus or nitrogen, or both, should be included unless it can be demonstrated that the removal will have no effect on the level of eutrophication.

1. Surface freshwaters intended for the abstraction of drinking water which could contain more than the concentration of nitrate laid down under the relevant provisions of Directive (EU) 2020/2184 if protective action is not taken.

1. Areas where further treatment than that prescribed in Article 7 of this Directive is necessary to comply with other Union acts in the environmental field, including in particular water bodies covered by Directive 2000/60/EC which are at risk of not maintaining or achieving good ecological status or potential.

1. Any other areas found by the Member States to be sensitive to eutrophication.

Annex

ANNEX III

LIST OF PRODUCTS COVERED BY EXTENDED PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY

1. Medicinal products for human use falling within the scope of Directive 2001/83/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council

Directive 2001/83/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 November 2001 on the Community code relating to medicinal products for human use (OJ L 311, 28.11.2001, p. 67).

.

1. Cosmetic products falling within the scope of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council

Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on cosmetic products (OJ L 342, 22.12.2009, p. 59).

.

Annex

ANNEX IV

INDUSTRIAL SECTORS

1. Milk-processing

1. Manufacture of fruit and vegetable products

1. Manufacture and bottling of soft drinks

1. Potato-processing

1. Meat industry

1. Breweries

1. Production of alcohol and alcoholic beverages

1. Manufacture of animal feed from plant products

1. Manufacture of gelatine and of glue from hides, skin and bones

1. Malt-houses

1. Fish-processing industry

Annex

ANNEX V

CONTENT OF THE INTEGRATED URBAN WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT PLANS

1. An analysis of the initial situation of the drainage area of the agglomeration concerned, including at least the following:

(a) a detailed description of the network of collecting systems, the urban wastewater and urban runoff storage and conducting capacities of that network and the existing urban wastewater treatment capacities in case of rainfall;

(b) for combined sewers, a dynamic analysis of the flows of urban wastewater in case of rainfall, based on monitoring data or the use of hydrological, hydraulic and water quality models that take into account state-of-the-art climate projections and including an estimate of the pollution loads of the parameters referred to in Table 1 and, where relevant, Table 2 of Annex I as well as microplastics and relevant pollutants released into receiving waters in case of rainfall;

(c) for separate sewers, a detailed description of the monitoring requirements at relevant points of separate systems where discharges of urban runoff are expected to be polluted as identified under Article 5(2), point (d), to identify relevant and feasible measures as required in point 3 of this Annex.

1. Objectives for the reduction of pollution from storm water overflows, including the following:

(a) an indicative non-binding objective that storm water overflow represents a small percentage that cannot be more than 2 % of the annual collected urban wastewater load calculated in dry weather conditions; this indicative non-binding objective shall be met by:

(i) 31 December 2039 for all agglomerations of 100000 p.e. and above;

(ii) 31 December 2045 for agglomerations of 10000 p.e. and above referred to in Article 5;

(b) the progressive reduction of macroplastics.

1. The measures to be taken to achieve the objectives referred to in point 2 in accordance with the deadlines set in that point accompanied with a timeline for the implementation of the measures and a distinction between measures already in place and to be taken. It shall also contain a clear identification of the actors involved and their responsibilities in the implementation of the integrated urban wastewater management plan.

1. When assessing which measures to be taken under point 3, Member States shall ensure that their competent authorities consider at least the following:

(a) preventive measures aimed at avoiding the entry of unpolluted rain waters into collecting systems, including measures promoting natural water retention or rainwater harvesting, and measures aimed at increasing green and blue spaces in urban areas in order to reduce storm water overflows or limiting impermeable surfaces in the agglomerations;

(b) measures to better manage and optimise the use of existing infrastructure, including collecting systems, storage volumes and urban wastewater treatment plants, with the aim of ensuring that releases of untreated urban wastewater or polluted urban runoff into receiving waters are minimised;

(c) where necessary to achieve the objectives referred to in point 2, additional mitigation measures including the adaptation of the infrastructure for the collection, storage and treatment of urban wastewater, such as connecting newly built urban areas to separate sewers, where relevant, or the creation of new infrastructure with priority given to green and blue infrastructure such as vegetated ditches, treatment wetlands and storage ponds designed in order to support biodiversity. Where relevant, water reuse shall be considered in the context of the development of the integrated urban wastewater management plans referred to in Article 5.

Annex

ANNEX VI

INFORMATION FOR THE PUBLIC

(1) the competent authority and the operator(s) responsible for urban wastewater collection and treatment services, including information on the ownership structure of the operators and their contact information;

(2) the total urban wastewater load expressed in population equivalents (p.e.) generated in the agglomeration, with details on the share of that load (in %) that is:

(a) collected and treated in urban wastewater treatment plants;

(b) treated by registered individual systems;

(c) not collected or treated;

(3) where relevant, a justification for why a certain load of urban wastewater is not collected or treated;

(4) information on the quality of the urban wastewater discharged from the agglomeration to each receiving water body, including the following elements:

(a) annual average concentrations and the load of pollutants covered by Article 21 released by each urban wastewater treatment plant;

(b) an estimate of the load of the discharges from individual systems for the parameters referred to in Tables 1 and 2 of Annex I;

(c) for agglomerations above 10000 p.e., an estimate of the load of the discharges from combined sewer and storm water overflows for the parameters referred to in Tables 1 and 2 of Annex I;

(5) total annual investment costs and total annual operational costs, with a distinction between collection and treatment costs, total annual costs related to staff, energy, consumables, administration and other costs as well as average annual investment and operational costs per cubic meter of urban wastewater collected and treated, and per average household where costs are recovered totally or partly through a water tariff system or per agglomeration level in other cases;

(6) information on how the costs referred to in point (5) are covered and, where costs are recovered through a tariff system, information on the structure of the tariff per cubic meter of urban wastewater collected and treated information on the structure of the tariff either per cubic meter of urban wastewater collected and treated or per cubic meter of water supplied, including fixed and variable costs and a breakdown between costs for collection, treatment, administration and other costs;

(7) investment plans for urban wastewater collection and treatment infrastructure at agglomeration level, with expected impacts on urban wastewater service tariffs, and intended financial and societal benefits;

(8) for each urban wastewater treatment plant of 10000 p.e. and above:

(a) the total load (in p.e.) treated and the energy required to treat the urban wastewater (in kWh total and per cubic meter);

(b) the total renewable energy produced (GWh/year) each year, including a breakdown per source of energy;

(9) the total direct GHG emissions (in tonnes of CO2 equivalent) produced or avoided per year by the operation of urban wastewater collection and treatment infrastructure of 10000 p.e. and above in each agglomeration and, when available, the total indirect GHG emissions (in tonnes of CO2 equivalent) produced in particular during the construction of that infrastructure;

(10) a summary of the nature and statistics regarding complaints and of the answers provided by the urban wastewater treatment plant operators on matters falling within the scope of this Directive;

(11) upon justified request, consumers shall be given access to historical data for information under points (2), (4), (8) and (9), dating back to 10 years, and not earlier than 1 January 2025.

Annex

ANNEX VII

Part A

Repealed Directive with list of the successive amendments thereto (referred to in Article 32)

Council Directive 91/271/EEC (OJ L 135, 30.5.1991, p. 40)Commission Directive 98/15/EC (OJ L 67, 7.3.1998, p. 29)Regulation (EC) No 1882/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 284, 31.10.2003, p. 1)only Annex III, point 21Regulation (EC) No 1137/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 311, 21.11.2008, p. 1)only Annex, point 4.2Council Directive 2013/64/EU (OJ L 353, 28.12.2013, p. 8)only Article 1

Part B

Time limits for transposition into national law (referred to in Article 32)

DirectiveTime limit for transposition91/271/EEC30 June 199398/15/EC30 September 19982013/64/EU31 December 2018 as regards Article 1(1), (2) and (3) 30 June 2014 as regards Article 1(5), point (a) 31. December 2014 as regards Article 1(5), point (b)

Annex

ANNEX VIII

Correlation table

Directive 91/271/EECThis DirectiveArticle 1Article 1Article 2, introductory wordingArticle 2, introductory wordingArticle 2, points 1 to 4Article 2, points 1 to 4—Article 2, points 5 and 6Article 2, point 5Article 2, point 7—Article 2, points 8 and 9Article 2, point 6Article 2, point 10Article 2, point 7Article 2, point 11Article 2, point 8Article 2, point 12—Article 2, points 13 and 14Article 2, point 10Article 2, point 15Article 2, point 11Article 2, point 16—Article 2, point 17 to 28Article 3(1)Article 3(1)—Article 3(2) and (3)Article 3(2)Article 3 (4)Article 3(1), third subparagraphArticle 4(1)—Article 4(2)—Article 4(3)—Article 4(4)—Article 4(5)—Article 4(6)—Article 5Article 4(1)Article 6(1)—Article 6(2)—Article 6(3)Article 4(2)Article 6(4)Article 4(4)Article 6(5)—Article 7(1)—Article 7(2)Article 5(2)Article 7(3)—Article 7(4)