Legal Action Over Untreated Waste Water

The EU Directive on Urban Waste Water Treatmentexternal (1991) required member states to put in place adequate waste water collecting systems and treatment facilities for large cities by the end of 2000.

The directive allows collecting systems and treatment plants to spill waste water in certain situations, like emergency shutdowns or unusually heavy rainfall.

The legislation aims to protect both human health and the environment, as untreated waste water can carry harmful bacteria and viruses into bathing water and contains nutrients, including nitrogen and phosphorous, which damage the marine environment by encouraging excessive algae growth.

The EU executive said it was taking Britain to court after rainstorms repeatedly caused sewers to flood into rivers in London and Whitburn, in the north-east of the country.

The Commission also said it was sending Spain a final written warning over sewage spills in the area of Playa de la Motilla, a beach near Valencia.

Faecal bacteria and viruses in sewage overspills are a danger to swimmers using nearby beaches, while excessive nitrates and phosphates from detergents can cause algae to grow rampantly and choke off other forms of life.

The European Court of Justice ruled in 2007 that Spain had failed in its obligation to treat appropriately the waste water from the cities of Sueca, Benifaio, Sollana, Almussafes and other coastal towns near Motilla beach.

The EU executive said the 1991 urban waste water directive did allow Britain some flexibility on spillages from its combined sewers during rainstorms, but it had gone too far.

Overflowing sewers helped push British beaches down the EU cleanliness rankings for the second year running in June.

The case, also at the European Court of Justice, could create pressure for more investment by London's Thames Water, part-owned by Australia's Macquarie, and Northumbrian Water Group, which controls Whitburn sewers.

British authorities will point to EUR2.7 billion of investment in the sewage systems of England and Wales since they were privatised in 1989.

A further EUR1.01 billion is planned for improving combined sewage outlets and EUR2.8 billion is earmarked for stormwater tunnels beneath London.