Implementation of the Urban Waste Water Directive in Austria

1. Implementation of the Urban Waste Water Directive in Austria Robert Fenz Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management

2. IRB ELBE IRB RHINE IRB DANUBE AUSTRIA – Background TAIEX seminar, Larnaca, Cyprus

3. UWWT situation in Austria • Catchment area: • Danube (~96%), Rhein (~ 3%), Elbe (< 1%) • Black Sea (96 %), North Sea (4 %) • 8 million inhabitants • 86% connected to sewer systems (state 2001) • waste water treatment design capacity (ODC):20 millionp.e. (population equivalents)14.7 million p.e. actually treated TAIEX seminar, Larnaca, Cyprus

4. Legal basis of Austrian water management • EU Legislation - UWWT Directive 91/271 • National legislation: • Water Act • General waste water ordinance • UWWT emission ordinance • Sector specific emission ordinances TAIEX seminar, Larnaca, Cyprus

5. Administrative organization and responsibilities Federal Government legal responsibility Urban waste water emission ordinance 9 Länder (Provinces) and 2359 municipalities responsibility of implementation, monitoring and surveillance permits Ordinances (sludge disposal) TAIEX seminar, Larnaca, Cyprus

6. UWWT situation in Austria 20,084,000 p.e. design capacity (ODC); 14,674,853 p.e. actually treated in 2002 TAIEX seminar, Larnaca, Cyprus

7. Level of treatment • Requirements for waste water treatment • based on combined approach set out in Art. 10 WFD • strong emphasis on emission controls based on best available techniques • Requirements for industrial effluents • several specific ordinances, permits • combination of internal and end of pipe measures • Requirements for urban waste water • secondary treatment with nitrification is in general the basic requirement TAIEX seminar, Larnaca, Cyprus

8. UWWTP Size classes and emission limit values (mg/l) Article 5 (8) UWWTD TAIEX seminar, Larnaca, Cyprus

9. Level of treatment • Nitrification • Reduction of oxygen demand • Danger of ammonia toxicity reduced • Reduction of pathogens (~103) • Removal of dangerous substances • P-removal important for lakes, partly small rivers to prevent / reduce eutrophication • N- and P- removal important for Black Sea / North Sea • Cost-benefit ratio is considered to be good TAIEX seminar, Larnaca, Cyprus

10. Eutrophication • Surface waters in Austria are generally P-limited • Criteria for risk assessment of rivers (under revision): 0,07 mg/l Ptot filtrated for salmonid waters 0,15 mg/l Ptot filtratedfor cyprinid waters • Rivers: 13 % at risk in respect to biological or trophic status due to Article 5 WFD analysis • Lakes > 0.5 km2 are in good ecological status • Article 5(8) of UWWTD since 2003 (P) • Black Sea and North Sea are N- and/or P-limited TAIEX seminar, Larnaca, Cyprus

11. Biological Water Quality TAIEX seminar, Larnaca, Cyprus

12. Eutrophication TAIEX seminar, Larnaca, Cyprus

13. Activated sludge system Also Sequencing Batch Reactors for smaller WWTPs TAIEX seminar, Larnaca, Cyprus

14. Vienna WWTP Different flow schemes for nutrient removal (from simple to sophisticated depending on local situation) TAIEX seminar, Larnaca, Cyprus

15. Vienna WWTP 4 million p.e. TAIEX seminar, Larnaca, Cyprus

16. Dimensioning • Austrian and German guidelines are used for dimensioning • Dimensioning of Single-Stage Activated Sludge Plants. German Water Association (DWA) A-131, 2000 • Standardisation and Derivation of Dimensioning Values for Wastewater Facilities. German Water Association (DWA) A-198, 2002 • Construction and Testing of Drains and Sewers. DWA A-139, 2002 on the basis of DIN EN 1610 • Advisory Leaflets (ÖWAV, DWA) • Austrian standards (ON) for small WWTPs TAIEX seminar, Larnaca, Cyprus

17. Investment costs • Investments for sewer systems and WWTPs • 1959 -2004: ~ 33,000 billion € • up to 2015: ~6,000 billion € • average yearly investments in Austria: 100 €/inhabitant • ~ 0.5 % of the Gross Domestic Product • investments costs per connected inhabitant: ~ 6,000 € • yearly costs per connected inhabitant: ~ 150 - 200 € • average fee: 1-3 €/m3 TAIEX seminar, Larnaca, Cyprus

18. Subsidy system for implementation • State loan system (1959 -1993) • long-term soft loans granted to municipalities by federal water fund (1-3 % interest rate; 30-50 years) • Subsidized loan-repayment system (since 1993) • loans on the free capital market • subsidy conditions set by the ministry, private credit institute handles the subsidy-projects • subsidy rate between 8 (20) and 50 %. TAIEX seminar, Larnaca, Cyprus

19. Monitoring methods and frequencies • Sampling method: • predominantly time-based samples (24 hours) but also flow proportional • Allowed failures: • according to the number of samples (Annex I, table 3) • no value more than 100% > limit value • Frequencies (surveillance): • 1, 6, 12, 12 and more • (according to size classes) TAIEX seminar, Larnaca, Cyprus

20. Self-monitoring frequencies TAIEX seminar, Larnaca, Cyprus

21. Monitoring performance • Self-monitoring: • Municipality/water associations • (At the plant and/or in laboratories) • Surveillance-monitoring: • Länder (Provinces), local water surveillance • (by public or certificated private laboratories) TAIEX seminar, Larnaca, Cyprus

22. Reporting system until 2000 • Data flow from: • uwwt plants, industries, population • To: regional authorities, provinces, • ministry or statistical office • For: national and internat. Statistics • national and international reports • Statistical office: every 10 years • Ministry: a) every 3 years • b) according to EU reporting obligations, ad hoc specific requests TAIEX seminar, Larnaca, Cyprus

23. UWWTD WFD Other Directives Other Reporting New Austrian reporting system Other int. Rep. (EEA,...) Ministry Other national bodies reports/electronic data exchange National UWWT-DB electronic data exchange Regional authorities UWWTP Industries TAIEX seminar, Larnaca, Cyprus

24. Data management • Information about: • Individual plants • Loads and emission concentrations • (Permits) • Industrial point sources • Spatial information (GIS) • Historical data • Connection degree (often missing) • Evaluation carried out by FEA/Ministry/Provinces • Evaluation tool integrated in data base TAIEX seminar, Larnaca, Cyprus

25. Rural areas –small treatment plants / individual systems • ~1 million people (14 % of population) not connected to sewer systems, out of these: • 65 % cess pits (number of pits is decreasing) • 35 % small treatment plants • conventional biological treatment plants • constructed wetlands • septic tanks • “Alternatives”: • waste water disposal on farm land? • infiltration of treated waste water? • Further public funding required for socially acceptable costs TAIEX seminar, Larnaca, Cyprus

26. Constructed wetlands Extensive Wastewater Treatment Processes 500 – 5,000 p.e. Guide, Commission, 2001 TAIEX seminar, Larnaca, Cyprus

27. Rural areas –small treatment plants / individual systems • Small WWTPs became much cheaper in the last years • Constructed wetlands: usually vertical filter with intermittent feed (nitrification) • Discussions on infiltration of treated waste water: • hygienic problems (risk based assessment – further research required) • oxygen • conservative compounds TAIEX seminar, Larnaca, Cyprus

28. Thank you for your attention • robert.fenz@lebensministerium.at • http://www.lebensministerium.at TAIEX seminar, Larnaca, Cyprus