EEA Report No 23/2018 Industrial waste water treatment – pressures on Europe's environment ISSN 1977-8449 EEA Report No 23/2018 Industrial waste water treatment – pressures on Europe's environment Cover design: EEA Cover photo: © Peter Vadocz, WaterPIX /EEA Layout: EEA/Rosendahls Legal notice The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the official opinions of the European Commission or other institutions of the European Union. Neither the European Environment Agency nor any person or company acting on behalf of the Agency is responsible for the use that may be made of the information contained in this report. Copyright notice © European Environment Agency, 2019 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. More information on the European Union is available on the Internet (http://europa.eu). Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2019 ISBN 978-92-9480-054-1 ISSN 1977-8449 doi:10.2800/496223 European Environment Agency Kongens Nytorv 6 1050 Copenhagen K Denmark Tel.: +45 33 36 71 00 Web: eea.europa.eu Enquiries: eea.europa.eu/enquiries Contents Contents Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................... 5 Key messages and recommendations ...................................................................................... 6 Executive summary .................................................................................................................... 9 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 10 1.1 Content and objectives of this report .................................................................................10 1.2 Understanding of industry and scope of activities analysed in this report....................10 1.3 The relevance of industry in the context of the water cycle ............................................11 1.4 European policy landscape for industrial waste waters ...................................................13 1.5 Types of industrial waste water ...........................................................................................16 1.6 Key water pollutants and their significance .......................................................................16 1.7 Industrial sites and treatment infrastructure ....................................................................18 1.8 Data sources ..........................................................................................................................20 1.9 General approach to the assessment .................................................................................21 2 Pressures from industry on Europe's treatment infrastructure and water bodies.....23 2.1 The interface between industrial indirect releases and waste water treatment...........23 2.2 Assessing direct and indirect releases from industry and urban waste water treatment plants.....................................................................................................................26 3 Information gaps and limitations ..................................................................................... 53 3.1 The design of the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register............................53 3.2 Data quality issues in European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register reporting....54 3.3 The design of the Industrial Emissions Directive and best available techniques reference documents............................................................................................................55 3.4 Limitations of water data reporting ....................................................................................55 4 Recommendations on data reporting ............................................................................... 56 4.1 Horizontal improvements (streamlining) ...........................................................................56 4.2 Specific recommendations for European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register and Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive reporting...................................................57 Industrial waste water treatment – pressures on Europe's environment 3 Contents Glossary of terms ...................................................................................................................... 58 List of abbreviations ................................................................................................................. 59 References ................................................................................................................................. 60 Annex 1 Sector mapping of industry ................................................................................... 63 Annex 2 Eco-toxicity factors according to the USEtox model ........................................... 64 Annex 3 Pressures from industrial waste water on urban waste water treatment plants, based on effluent typology ....................................................................... 66 4 Industrial waste water treatment – pressures on Europe's environment Acknowledgements Acknowledgements This report was prepared by the European The EEA would like to recognise the contributions Environment Agency. The authors of the report from experts from the EEA member countries in were Marthe Granger, Ian Marnane and the Eionet National Reference Centre on Industrial Daniel Martin-Montalvo Alvarez. Pollution who provided data and reviewed this report. The project manager would like to The report is largely based on a technical contribution thank Marcin Wisniewski and Nele Rosenstock led by Trinomics and Ricardo Energy & Environment. (European Commission, Directorate General for Ben Grebot, Natalia Anderson, Alfredo López Carretero, the Environment) for their contributions and James Sykes, Gratsiela Madzharova and Hetty Menadue Martin Adams, Caroline Whalley, Bastian Zeiger are the experts behind that work. and Nihat Zal (all EEA) for their involvement in framing the report and improving its messages. The EEA project manager for this report was Marthe Granger. Industrial waste water treatment – pressures on Europe's environment 5 Key messages and recommendations Key messages and recommendations 1. In 2016, more than 34 000 facilities reported data have slightly decreased in recent years and, in to the European Pollutant Release and Transfer the meantime, transfers from industry towards Register (E-PRTR); however, only a relatively small UWWTPs have marginally increased (except for fraction of these reported emissions to water: heavy metals). around 3 600 facilities, equivalent to 10 % (2 500 facilities from industry and around 1 100 Urban waste 6. In terms of eco-toxicity, the largest pressure water treatment plants (UWWTPs)). The presence from industrial direct releases to water can be of pollutant reporting thresholds in the E-PRTR observed where there are large-scale, or clusters process means that other facilities that have pollutant of, thermal power plants, coke ovens or chemical releases below these thresholds do not have to report manufacturing plants. data; hence, 3 600 represents only those facilities with discharges above the threshold levels. 7. Analysis of the eco-toxic loading related to different pollutant groups over the period 2008-2016 2. Based on national assessments, in most countries indicates that: industrial point sources of pollution are identified as a relatively small source of pressure. The data suggest • In terms of eco-toxicity, as would be expected, that industrial point sources not regulated by the UWWTPs are the biggest contributor of direct Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) may exert greater releases to water for each of the pollutant pressure on the quality of water than the larger groups. Within industry, chemicals and energy installations covered by the IED. This suggests that supply are always significant contributors to the the IED regulatory process is effective in controlling eco-toxicity of direct releases to water and to industrial pollution but that measures to control indirect releases to UWWTPs as well. pollution from smaller industry may be less effective. • The eco-toxic loading due to direct releases 3. Industrial sectors that include large-scale activities from industry has clearly decreased for tend to have a higher proportion of direct releases heavy metals (mainly originating from metal to water. This is consistent with data for the pulp and processing activities), and it has also decreased paper (82 %), iron and steel (81 %), energy supply for chlorinated organic substances and other (86 %), non-ferrous metals (76 %) and chemicals organic substances. (49 %) sectors. This would require on-site capacity to treat the waste waters before their release. • Regarding indirect releases, the eco-toxic loading to UWWTPs has decreased for heavy metals, 4. Those industrial sectors with generally smaller scale has remained relatively constant for other installations, e.g. other manufacturing, and food and organic substances and has no clear trend for drink production, tend to report higher proportions chlorinated organic substances. of releases to the sewer system (i.e. indirect releases) than direct releases to water. Some of these effluents • Over the same period the toxic loading due (e.g. from food and drink production) are similar to direct releases to water from UWWTPs has in character to domestic-type effluents, which may