How Important Are Nature-Based Solutions (NBSs) in Managing Urban Wastewater?

The management of urban wastewater in all member states of the EU is currently regulated by the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD), which was first adopted in 1991. While the Directive has made considerable progress in protecting the environment and reducing the negative impact that urban wastewater effluents have on the natural world, it is in need of revision to bring it into line with 21st-century ideals.

One such amendment could be the use of nature-based solutions (NBSs) to help boost the quality of urban wastewater treatment services, without negatively impacting upon the environment in other ways. Deployed in tandem with the latest technological innovations and techniques – such as novel methods for monitoring wastewater from the wastewater network and across the sewage treatment plant to aid optimisation – these NBSs could help integrate the UWWTD with other EU objectives and initiatives and create a more circular economy throughout the bloc.

The advantages of NBSs

One of the primary changes that is expected to occur when the EU updates the UWWTD in the coming months and years is the provision of legislation geared towards dealing with contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). Pollutants such as microplastics and pharmaceuticals were not an issue when the Directive was first drafted 30 years ago, but they have an increasingly detrimental impact on the natural world today.

The problem is, if wastewater treatment systems are updated to include more chemicals aimed at eliminating these micropollutants, the concentration of cleaning agents themselves could become unsustainable. What’s more, the emissions incurred via their production could exacerbate the climate change situation, while the energy consumed during the process would also negatively impact the industry’s carbon profile. As such, pre-emptive NBSs could circumnavigate these kinds of problems.

Viable NBS options on the table

Rather than using chemicals (which are, essentially, more pollutants) to remove the CECs from wastewater systems, the sensible option would be to prevent them from entering the waterways in the first place. This could be achieved via adoption of natural alternatives to damaging chemical cleaning agents, both in homes and businesses and at urban wastewater treatment plants (UWWTPs). While such alternatives might carry a more expensive up-front price tag, the money they could save in the long run could make their use worthwhile.

Other NBSs which could make a tangible difference to the urban wastewater industry could be more widespread use of porous pavements, vegetated roofs and gardens and constructed wetlands, swales and detention basins. These solutions would help to mitigate the issue of storm water overflows and urban run-off, which often carry untreated wastewater into public water bodies in periods of heavy rainfall. With climate change increasing the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events such as these, NBSs could become increasingly important in managing urban wastewater in a sustainable and forward-thinking manner.

Make your voice heard

If you have an opinion on the use of NBSs in urban wastewater management, the EU wants to hear it. Brussels is currently holding a public consultation period (from April 28th to July 21st 2021) which is open for everyone to participate in and put their views across. Once the consultation window is closed, the feedback will be assimilated into an impact assessment, which will be used to inform upcoming changes to the UWWTD. Get involved by visiting the EU website here and making your voice heard today.