C 146/38
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
27.4.2023
4.
Specific comments 4.1.
Urban wastewater is a footprint of society and our consumption and production patterns.
It contains a complex mix of domestic discharges, run-off from streets and buildings, and industrial and other non-domestic effluents that need proper treatment to not pose a threat to human health and the environment or affect recreational waters.
Working conditions and health and safety for the workers involved in the urban wastewater system should be a key priority.
4.2.
The overall target for 2040 with interim targets sets out a clear path for wastewater treatment for the next two decades.
However, we have limited understanding of the risks to aquatic life presented by mixtures of chemicals in surface waters, and many of these chemicals come from products used in our own homes.
Furthermore, the construction, maintenance and operation of waste water collection and treatment come at high financial and greenhouse gas emission cost.
Reviews and evaluations of key parts of the Urban Waste Water Treatment and Sewage Sludge Directives present the opportunity to modernise and improve coherence across the sector and help deliver on the ambitions of the European Green Deal.
4.3.
Antimicrobial resistance is a growing concern for society, and urban wastewater, whether treated or not, is a hotspot for it spreading (4).
Antimicrobial resistance is driven not only by excessive antibiotic use, but also by other antimicrobial agents, such as fungicides, antiviral agents, parasiticides, as well as some disinfectants and antiseptics, all of which are used in the urban environment especially in hospitals.
If action, such as curbing excessive use of antimicrobial agents, is not taken, 10 million people yearly are projected to die from antibiotic-resistant infection by 2050, a UN report warns (5).
4.4.
Urban run-off is a major pathway for toxic, non-biodegradable and emerging contaminants to enter aquatic ecosystems, including plastic debris, hydrocarbons, detergents, hormones, solvents, pathogens, pesticides, heavy metals and engineered nanomaterials (6).
Despite being polluted, urban run-off is often handled as clean rainwater due to lack of monitoring and not treated before it is discharged to receiving waters.
This represents a major risk to ecosystems; as an example, acute mortality has been observed in salmon linked to a toxic substance (6PPD-quinone) in car tyres (7).
4.5.
Sewer overflows are a hotspot for micropollutants, antimicrobial resistance (8), microplastics and trash to enter receiving waters.
They represent a threat to the environment and human health but also for the tourism sector, which depends on clean recreational waters.
The load of rainwater to sewer can be reduced by the introduction of blue-green solutions that retain water and let it infiltrate into the ground, including green roofs, removal of impenetrable surfaces and rain gardens.
Not only are they a cost-efficient way to retain rain water, but they also come with many co-benefits for the urban landscape, including reducing the risk for flooding, reducing heat islands and increasing biodiversity and well-being in the city.
Achieving the transition to more efficient sewage treatment and a circular economy requires changes not only in regulatory and institutional approaches, but also in how we as citizens appreciate our individual and collective responsibilities towards sewage management.
4.6.
The EESC supports the introduction of mandatory integrated urban wastewater treatment plans with the objective of reducing sewer overflows and pollution from urban run-off.
But while the intention of the urban wastewater management plans is good, they risk becoming empty shells as the content and objective (of reducing combined sewer overflows to 1 % of dry weather flow) are only indicative.
Proper rainwater management is crucial not only to prevent
(4) (5) (6) (7) (8)
UNEP, How drug-resistant pathogens in water could spark another pandemic.
UNEP, Environmental Dimensions of Antimicrobial Resistance.
Lapointe et al., Sustainable strategies to treat urban runoff needed, Nature Sustainability 5, 2022, pp. 366-369.
Tian et al., A ubiquitous tire rubber–derived chemical induces acute mortality in coho salmon, Science, Vol.
371, 2021, pp. 185-189.
EAWAG, Monitoring antibiotic resistance in wastewater.