Commission Directive 98/15/EC of 27 February 1998 amending Council Directive 91/271/EEC with respect to certain requirements established in Annex I thereof (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 1998-02-27
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: directive (EU), urban area, wastewater, water treatment

7. 3. 98

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EN

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Official Journal of the European Communities

L 67/29

COMMISSION DIRECTIVE 98/15/EC

of 27 February 1998

amending Council Directive 91/271/EEC with respect to certain requirements
established in Annex I thereof

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Article 2

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Directive 91/271/EEC of 21 May 1991
concerning urban waste water treatment (1) and, in par-
ticular, Article 5, paragraph 3, thereof,

Whereas the requirements for discharges from urban
waste water treatment plants to sensitive areas which are
subject
to eutrophication as drawn up in Table 2 of
Annex I to Directive 91/271/EEC gave rise to problems
of interpretation which it is vital to clarify; whereas it is
necessary in consequence to amend Table 2 of Annex I to
the Directive;

Whereas the measures provided for in this Directive
comply with the opinion of the Committee provided for
by Article 18 of Directive 91/271/EEC,

The Member States shall bring into force the laws, regula-
tions and administrative provisions necessary to comply
with this Directive no later than 30 September 1998.
They shall forthwith inform the Commission thereof.

When Member States adopt the measures referred to, they
shall contain a reference to this Directive or shall be
accompanied by such a reference on the occasion of their
official publication. The methods of making such a
reference shall be laid down by the Member States.

Article 3

This Directive shall enter into force on the 20th day
following that of its publication in the Official Journal of
the European Communities.

Article 4

This Directive is addressed to the Member States.

HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:

Done at Brussels, 27 February 1998.

Article 1

Annex I to Directive 91/271/EEC is amended in ac-
cordance with the Annex to this Directive.

For the Commission

Ritt BJERREGAARD

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 135, 30. 5. 1991, p. 40.

L 67/30

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EN

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Official Journal of the European Communities

7. 3. 98

ANNEX

Table 2 of Annex I to Directive 91/271/EEC is replaced by the following text:

‘Table 2: Requirements for discharges from urban waste water treatment plants to sensitive areas which
are subject to cutrophication as identified in Anex II.A(a). One or both parameters may be
applied depending on the local situation. The values for concentration or for the percentage of
reduction shall apply.

Parameters

Concentration

Minimum
percentage
of reduction (1)

Reference method
of measurement

Total phosphorus

2 mg/l
p.e.)

(10 000-100 0000

80

Molecular absorption spec-
trophotometry

1 mg/l (more than 100 000
p.e.)

Total nitrogen (2)

15 mg/l
p.e.) (3)

(10 000-100 000

70-80

Molecular absorption spec-
trophotometry

10 mg/l (more than 100 000
p.e.) (3)

(1) Reduction in relation to the load of the influent.
(2) Total nitrogen means the sum of total Kjeldahl nitrogen (organic and ammoniacal nitrogen) nitrate-nitrogen and

nitrite-nitrogen.

(3) These values for concentration are annual means as referred to in Annex I, paragraph D.4(c). However, the require-
ments for nitrogen may be checked using daily averages when it is proved, in accordance with Annex I, paragraph
D.1, that the same level of protection is obtained. In this case, the daily average must not exceed 20 mg/l of total
nitrogen for all the samples when the temperature from the effluent in the biological reactor is superior or equal to
12 HC. The conditions concerning temperature could be replaced by a limitation on the time of operation to take
account of regional climatic conditions.’