implementation of the urban wastewater treatment directive...

Directive 91/271/CE

Implementation of the Urban

Wastewater Treatment Directive

in France

Bruno RakedjianUWWTD programme manager for the French Ministry

of Environment between 2007 and 2013 UWWTD programme manager for the DG ENV of the EC

between July 2013 and July 2017

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Why it is important to implement it

UWWTD Implementation

When Peru had a cholera outbreak in 1991, losses from tourism and agricultural revenue were three

times greater than the total money spent on sanitation in the previous

decade.

Rose George, Journalist and author

unclean water and poor sanitation are the world's second biggest killers of children

(2011).Inadequate water supply and sanitation cost economies $260 billion worldwide every year

(2015).

Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General.

It is not strange that health improves when the population gives up using

diluted sewage as the principle beverage.

Dr. Thurman Rice, 1932.

Teacher à University of Indiana Schoolof Medicine

Avoid pathogen and chemical contaminations

to protectthe environment

and the health of people

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Situation in 2007

UWWTD Implementation

UWWTD directive deadlines 1998 – 2000 – 2005

2006: 20 % of the treatment plants not compliant

In 2007,infringement procedures:

France at risk to be sentenced by

the European court of justice to

pay a fine of about 400 million

euros

UWWTD Implementation

• Lack of human resources, skill and willingness

in some of the water utilities (35 160 water andsanitation utilities)

• Lack of political support from the highest level

of the state

• Bad coordination between the different levels

of the French Government and Basin Agencies

• Poor knowledge about the real situation

• Local opposition to some of the projects

• Underestimation of the costs

(€16 billion estimated in 1994, €90 billion spent from 1990 to 2014)

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Why was France late to comply?

• Creation of a national database and tools for monitoringand reporting

• Coercive and financial measures

• Implementation action plan with indicators

• Establish a coherent national and local implementationsystem with strong political support and designatedpeople at each administrative level

• Comprehensive training program and “hotline”

• Hiring of a senior sanitation expert to frequently monitorimplementation on the ground

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Decisionstaken

UWWTD Implementation

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National financialand technical support

UWWTD Implementation

11,6 billions euros subsidies and loans (2007 – 2012)

(60% sanitation, 11% drinking water, 10% management of local policies)

13,3 billions euros subsidies and loans (2013 - 2018)

(50% sanitation)

UWWTPs

subsidies between 30% and 45% of the total amount

Collecting systems

Subsidies between 20 and 35% of the total amount

Origin of the RBA budget

(Exemple of RMC, 9th programme)• 70%households• 19% local authorities• 7% industries• 1% agriculture• 3% pesticides• 1% other

RBA resource on the water bill

between 35 and 70 cents/m3

Solidarity between urban and rural areas in the same river bassin

River basin agencies RBA (since 1964)

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National financial and technical support

UWWTD Implementation

The national water agencyONEMA ---> AFB (2017 biodiversity French Agency)

Missions of AFB

-The financial solidarity to the benefit of

Corsica and French ultramarine territories

20 millions euros subsidies each year

- Knowledge and national information system

- Water Research

The budget comes from the 6 rivers basin agencies

120 millions euros each year

Need to set up clear prioritiesfor urban waste water treatment

plants (UWWTP) works

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DashboardsUWWTD Implementation

2007

2012

2013

2010 - Creation of a national urban waste water website

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TransparencyUWWTD Implementation

http://assainissement.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/

A European reference:

500-600 visitors per day

A source of knowledge (data, indicators, regulation,...)

Created a positive implementation dynamic

Phosphorus removal lakes an fresh waters

Nitrogen and phosphorus removal coastal areas

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Sensitive areasUWWTD Implementation

Chorophyll a concentration NASA 29 March 2017

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Treatmentimplemented in 2012

UWWTD Implementation

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Treatment implementedin France in 2015

UWWTD Implementation

Training support provided to help design systems:

Information on good practices

Information on what to study to determineand compare possible solutions

UWWTD Implementation

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Advice given to French local authorities

Advice given to French local authorities

UWWTD Implementation

Collective or individual sanitation system (IAS) ?

Distance between houses, urban planning, geological layers, costs,…

What about IAS ?

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Good practice about IAS

UWWTD Implementation

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French does not have accurate information at nationallevel and does not report this information to EU. Irelandhas decided to report 5% for each agglomeration

• IAS in isolated areas does not pollute a lot compared to farmanimals and discharge of waste water of collecting systemswithout treatments.

• It is difficult at national level to have accurate information onthat. It is more difficult at EU level.

• Reporting more IAS is a way to reduce estimations of dischargeswithout treatment before collection for countries that havereported this information.

• Better management of IAS have to be implemented in a mid-term perspective.

Advice given to French local authorities

UWWTD Implementation

One UWWTP or several UWWTPs ?

Costs, size of the agglomeration, variation of altitudes,Sanitation system history, water body acceptance…

Where to build the UWWTP?

Take into account proximity of houses (noise, smells), flooding risk, protected areas, slope of the city,…

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UWWTD Implementation

Which technology?

Performance requested, investment and operationcosts, operation complexity,Lots of different technologies with advanges anddisadvantages.Has to be compatible with potential futurimprovement.

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Advice given to French local authorities

UWWTD Implementation

Which Design for the UWWTP?

Take into account the next ten years and leave possibilities of extension. Peak week has to be treated (tourism activity, rainevents, industrial discharges,…)Consider that extending the network and connectingall the buildings will take years, limiting flow to WWTPTake into account the basic measures requested by the UWWTD but also water quality objectives

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Advice given to French local authorities

FrenchStatistics

UWWTD Implementation

French statistics about urban waste water 2014• Citizens : 66 million• Agglomerations : 19 400 (3 200 >= 2000 p.e.)• Generated load: 78 million p.e.• Design capacity: 102 million p.e.• Pipe lenght: 380 000 km• Volume of urban waste water: 5 billion m3/year• Investment in collecting systems : €2.5 billion• Investment in UWWTPs: €1.5 billion• Operation costs (with depreciation): €6.6 billion• Water bill (in 2013): €3.85/m3 (Water: €2;WW: €1.85)

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UWWTD Implementation

About 210 billion euros

30 billion euros for UWWTPs

(300 € /pe x 100 million p.e)

114 billion euros for the collecting systems

(300 € /m x 380 000 km)

• 30 billion for pipe connection (building to CS)

(2000 € /connection x 15 million houses)

• 36 billion for individual sanitation systems

(9000 € per device x 4 million houses)

An investment of 3 150 € /person/50 years

(65 €/citizen/year)20

Rough estimation of the Sanitation Asset in France

Main results in France

UWWTD Implementation

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Geneva Lake Phosphorus from 1955 to 2015 Estuary of Seine Ammonium 1970 to 2015

Estuary of Seine Eutrophication risk 1970 to 2015 Fish in Seine river

Main results in France and the EU

UWWTD Implementation

22BOD In rivers EEA website

1993 2012

Preliminaryresults in Bulgaria

UWWTD Implementation

2323

Iskar 8

Iskar 7

Iskar 6

Good practice about the deadlines

UWWTD Implementation

French experience shows that:• It took longer than anticipated to reach compliance;• Willingness and momentum are needed in the long

run (5-6 yrs to build large WWTPs + 3-5 years toachieve the last connections to the network);

• Mid/long term planning better for the economy andindustrial/building sector

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ConclusionUWWTD Implementation

Reasons for France’s success to comply with UWWTD:

• National database and website for information dissemination

• Implementation action plan and indicators (yearly updated)

• Clear priorities (biggest agglomerations first)

• National regulation that does not over-translate EU regulation

• Financial instruments with clear allocation criteria (e.g. readiness)

• Coherent national and local organisation in place with support from thehighest political level and resource people at each sub-administrative level

• National manager that is also able to discuss solutions with localauthorities

• Comprehensive capacity-building programme and “hotline”

• Documentation and dissemination of best practices

• For each project studies looking at possible alternatives to determine themost cost efficient solution

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Thank you for your attention

contactwb@rakedjian.eu

http://uwwtd.oieau.fr/