Spain falls foul of wastewater treatment
Spain has been referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) by the European Commission for failing to comply with wastewater regulations as set out in the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD). The decision, announced on 29 April, comes after the country´s prolonged non-compliance with the Directive and follows years of warnings and proceedings opened by Brussels.
The Commission said, in its decision announced on 29 April, that Spanish authorities have not fully guaranteed the collection, treatment, and control of wastewater in dozens of urban centres and that ‘efforts made by the Spanish authorities have, to date, been insufficient’. The EU institution sent a letter of formal notice to Spain in October 2017 and a reasoned opinion in November 2019. Since than Spain has made progress, but it has failed to ensure collecting systems are installed in all urban centres.
Wastewater treatment obligations
Under the Urban Wastewater Directive all Member States must provide secondary treatment of all discharges from agglomerations of more than 2,000 people, and more advanced treatment for agglomerations of more than 10,000 people in designated sensitive areas. Secondary treatment supplements the elimination of solid matter from urban wastewater by breaking down organic substances with bacteria. Further treatment may be required to protect sensitive water environments. This can involve disinfecting the treated effluent to protect bathing or shellfish waters. It can also involve the removal of phosphorus or nitrates to protect waters that are threatened by eutrophication.
Widespread shortcomings
The Commission said that 15 agglomerations in Spain still do not have adequate wastewater collection systems, or do not have adequate alternatives that offer the same environmental protection. And it was found that in 39 agglomerations, the Iberian country is still failing to ensure adequate secondary treatment. Furthermore, the Commission said that in eight urban centres Spain fails to ensure tertiary treatment of the entire agglomerations’ pollution load and/or fails to meet the treatment requirements for the discharges into sensitive areas after treatment. It also found that in 52 agglomerations, Spain is failing to ensure that discharges from treatment plants are monitored to verify compliance.
Million-euro fines
Spain could face million-euro fines and sanctions if the CJEU concludes that it continues to breach the Urban Wastewater Directive. Previously, in April 2022, Spain was referred to the CJEU by the Commission for the country´s failure to comply with the Directive. In a statement the European Commission said that its enquiries ‘revealed a widespread failure to comply with the Directive’s obligation in 133 agglomerations in Spain’. The 2022-issued statement added that Spain ‘also needs to step up its efforts to ensure that wastewaters collected are sufficiently treated to meet the relevant treatment standards’.
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