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Water Quality - Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive

Sewage Treatment in the UK: Implementation of the
EC Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive

Industrial discharges (not to sewer)

The Directive also sets requirements for the treatment of biodegradable waste water from industries that discharge directly to the water environment. The Directive does not set standards for these industrial discharges, but does require that discharges greater than 4,000 POPULATION EQUIVALENT (pe) comply with their discharge authorisations by 31 December 2000. The INFOBOX sets out the industrial sectors covered by the Directive and the size of these sectors in the UK in Population Equivalent terms.

INFOBOX - Table of industrial sector discharges not to sewer in the UK Industrial sector Total organic load (in PE) Number of plants Total organic load meeting required standards at 31.12.2000 (in PE) Full compliance Milk-processing 1,464,380 30 644,880 Dec-2003 Manufacture of fruit and vegetable products 1,144,564 9 1,144,564 Dec-2000 Manufacture and bottling of soft drinks - - - - Potato-processing 302,037 3 302,037 Dec-2000 Meat industry 623,348 18 573,348 Dec-2001 Breweries 94,000 1 94,000 Sep-1997 Production of alcohol and alcoholic beverages 1,930,727 23 1,930,727 Dec-2000 Manufacture of animal feed from plant products 476,000 3 476,000 Dec-2000 Manufacture of gelatin and of glue from hides, skin and bones 13,315 1 13,315 Dec-2000 Malt-houses 206,666 9 206,666 Dec-2000 Fish-processing industry 18,000 2 5,000 Feb-2001 Total 6,273,037 99 5,390,537

Page published 25 April 2002;
Page last modified 29 September, 2002

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