The revised EU Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (EU) 2024/3019 – known as UWWTD for short – has been in force since 1 January 2025. It aims to remove micropollutants from wastewater more effectively, particularly residues from pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. The central element is the mandatory expansion of a fourth treatment stage in large sewage treatment plants. Manufacturers of these products will have to bear at least 80 percent of the resulting costs in future.
The problem: micropollutants in wastewater
Existing three-stage wastewater treatment plants (mechanical, biological, chemical) are often insufficient to remove micropollutants. These enter wastewater through everyday applications and accumulate in the environment and organisms. UWWTD closes a regulatory gap in the old directive from 1991 and obliges large sewage treatment plants to install facilities for a fourth treatment stage designed to specifically eliminate micropollutants.
Technical specifications and timetable
UWWTD provides for several treatment stages in municipal wastewater treatment plants:
The first stage is mechanical treatment, which filters out coarse dirt particles. This is followed by biological treatment in the second stage, which primarily removes organically degradable substances. From 31 December 2035, secondary treatment will also be mandatory for discharges from municipal wastewater treatment plants with a population equivalent of 1,000 to 2,000. “Population equivalent (PE)” is a fictitious calculation that specifies how heavily polluted the wastewater is. Population equivalent 1 is the amount of wastewater produced by a single person per day. The third treatment stage serves to remove nitrogen and phosphorus compounds. These nutrients can pollute water bodies and lead to their over fertilisation (eutrophication). A third treatment stage is planned for sewage treatment plants with a population equivalent of more than 10,000 that discharge into areas affected by or at risk of eutrophication, as well as for plants with a population equivalent of 150,000 or more.
A fourth treatment stage is also being added, which is mandatory for wastewater treatment plants in cities with a population of 150,000 or more. In particularly vulnerable areas, this requirement already applies to plants with a population of 10,000 or more. It is designed to remove micro-pollutants such as pharmaceutical residues and cosmetics from the water. A phased timetable applies to its introduction: by 31 December 2033, at least 20 per cent of sewage treatment plants with a population equivalent of 150,000 or more must have a fourth treatment stage; by 31 December 2039, this figure must rise to 60 per cent, and by 31 December 2045 at the latest, all plants of this size must be compliant.
The “polluter pays principle” and manufacturer obligations
UWWTD introduces the so-called polluter pays principle: manufacturers of human medicines and cosmetics must bear the majority of the costs for the expansion, operation and monitoring of the new treatment stage, as well as the costs for the necessary data collection. They must also report annually on the quantities, degradability and environmental hazards of their products.
Resistance from industry
The pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries criticise the excessive costs and long-term payment obligations. Industry associations fear negative effects on the supply of medicines. Several pharmaceutical companies have therefore filed lawsuits with the EU Court of Justice. Experts advise companies to prepare themselves well in advance to minimise costs and risks.
