The Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive is over 30 years old and is now being revised as part of the EU REFIT process. The objective of the Directive is to protect the environment from harmful effects caused by discharges of urban wastewater and wastewater from certain industries. This has already been achieved successfully in the past 30 years and water quality in rivers, lakes, and seas has improved considerably. The revision of the Directive is intended to filter even more substances from wastewater in the future in order to protect the environment and human health.

AK supports the Commission's plan to adapt the regulations to the current challenges of the climate crisis, as well as to the latest state of the art. The improved access to basic sanitation for all people provided for in the Directive is expressly welcomed. In principle, pollutants should be tackled at source and not removed by an end-of-pipe solution.