The GB water industry is seizing a unique opportunity to shape its future approach to wastewater treatment following the revision of the EU’s Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (rUWWTD).

As a non-member of the EU, England, Wales and Scotland are no longer bound to abide by the letter of the new UWWTD, which came into force on 1 January 2025. This allows the GB sector to tailor its approach - a topic which was explored at a high-level UKWIR workshop held in Westminster.

The event on 18 September brought together water companies, regulators and leading academics to debate whether to adopt the EU’s proposed chemical removal requirements or develop a more appropriate risk-based strategy for the GB environment.

“We were approached by several water companies and DEFRA to start to consider the rUWWTD,” explains Jenni Hughes, UKWIR Strategic Programme Manager. “In England, Wales and Scotland we now have an opportunity to decide if we adopt it in full, add extras, or change it entirely. This workshop was the crucial initial conversation about what we should or could do differently.”

The UWWTD was first adopted in 1991 and was instrumental in improving water quality across the EU. However, after more than 30 years, the Directive needed overhauling to address new sources of urban pollution, and new pollutants including microplastics and micropollutants.

A key concern is that the revised proposed chemical removal list requires 80% removal of a small, fixed set of substances - a move that is not necessarily based on the actual chemicals causing the highest environmental risk. The workshop attendees sought to answer two central questions: ‘What, and who, do we want or need to protect?’ and ‘What are the alternatives to a non-risk-based approach?’.

Discussions also included looking beyond specific chemicals to areas like antimicrobial resistance and microplastics.

The event, was run by UKWIR’s Substances of Emerging Concern Advisory Group (SECAG), and attended by representatives from water companies and organisations including Water UK, NERC, the Environment Agency, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Natural Resources Wales, DEFRA, as well as academics from the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, University of Bath, University of Exeter and University of York.

Next steps include summarising the key learnings for dissemination and continuing engagement with policymakers to understand the required evidence base. This will also directly feed into the development of the Chemical Investigations Programme (CIP-5), providing a route to deliver the necessary evidence, sampling and performance data for policy decisions.

Prof. Elise Cartmell, Net Zero Emissions lead at Scottish Water and UKWIR board member underscored the strategic importance of this work. “It’s vital the water sector’s regulatory approach is driven by sound science that addresses our specific environmental risks. This UKWIR-led collaboration, bringing together water companies, regulators and the best academic minds, ensures we’re moving towards a scientifically robust, risk-based solution for chemical removal and environmental protection.”

UKWIR will continue to lead this crucial, evidence-led effort, ensuring the water sector delivers world-class, sustainable solutions for the future. To find out more about the practical wastewater tools and services we provide, visit: ukwir.org/water-and-wastewater-tools-services