Status of river quality and waste water treatment

Status of river quality and waste water treatment in the Danube River Basin Progress and challenges of a transboundary cooperation Dr. Adam Kovacs International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR)

The ICPDR and its role Danube River Protection Convention: 29 June 1994, Sofia Sustainable & equitable use of water Protection of water & ecological resources Reduce nutrients & hazardous substances Manage floods & ice hazards • ICPDR (1998): implements the Convention • ICPDR coordinates the implementation of EU Water Framework Directive (2000) & EU Floods Directive (2007)

DRBM Plan – Update 2015 • Determines priorities for transboundary water management on the basin-wide level for the period 2016 to 2021 • Status assessment of water bodies • Four priority issues identified (SWMIs) • Pressures assessment, Joint Program of Measures, sources of financing • Intensive stakeholder dialogue • December 2015: Final version adopted by Heads of Delegation then published • February 2016: Danube Ministerial Meeting for endorsement

Status assessment - surface water bodies Risk to fail good ecological Ecological status (2015) status by 2021 Risk by pressures Risk to fail good chemical status Chemical status (2015) by 2021

Pollution assessment for agglomerations e r Futu Baseline scenario by 2021 Reference status by 2012 Vision scenario Mid-term scenario Data and assumptions: • Reference: comprehensive data collection (2012) • Scenarios: policy implementation, country inputs

Waste water sector: reference status and progress BOD emissions kg BOD/PE/year 2012 2005 • 88 million PE (5, 700 agglomerations above 2, 000 PE), > 10 million m 3 per day waste water • Black Sea designated as sensitive area (UWWTD) • Improvement of waste water infrastructure at around 900 agglomerations • Shift to more enhanced technologies, remarkable decrease of emissions (50%, 30%, 45%) • 260, 000 tons per year BOD emissions, high impact of not/poorly treated waste water (70%) • 88, 000 tons per year TN, 12, 000 tons per year TP emissions (share: TN: 16%, TP: 33%)

Waste water sector: development needs PE distribution • Need of basic infrastructural development for 29% of the total PE (focus on untreated 10%) • Need of nutrient removal technology for 28 million PE (above 10, 000 PE) • Significant emission reduction potential in new and non EU MS, need of financial support

Waste water sector: scenario results (1)

Waste water sector: scenario results (2) PE BOD emissions (t/a) • High amounts infiltrated via cesspools, old septic systems or illegally discharged • Decreasing emissions via uncollected waste water (construction of sewer systems) • Decreasing emissions via untreated waste water (connection to UWWTP) • Baseline: 14. 5 million PE to be connected, 16 million PE to be upgraded • Expected reduction of water emissions: 36% (BOD), 10% (TN) and 17% (TP)

Waste water sector: ICPDR objectives & activities • Technical assessment on current status and progress achieved • Measures to be implemented (Joint Program of Measures) a) Implementation of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (EU MS, specific requirements for agglomerations > 2, 000 PE) b) Constructing a specific number of wastewater collecting systems and municipal wastewater treatment plants (Non-EU MS) • Close knowledge gaps on hazardous substances releases • Orienting financial institutions and countries for appropriate investments • Strengthening capacity and supporting knowledge transfer • Promoting enhanced technologies and good practices • Non- EU MS: affordability…?

Conclusions Lower pollutant emissions and loads in to of Need Significant of to additional reduce facilitate efforts knowledge finding toactions reduce proper ingaps organic, theriver funding next (sources nutrient management sources, of comparison and hazardous strengthening hazardous cyclesubstances in those terms substances capacity of the past decades measures pollution emissions, and increasing byimplementation DRB implementing efficiency specific substances, measures (constructing inadditional waste sewers water measures) and sector treatment plants)

And finally… Thank you for your kind attention! For more information please visit the ICPDR website: http: //www. icpdr. org ICPDR Secretariat / Vienna International Centre, D 0412 / P. O. Box 500 / 1400 Vienna / Austria Phone +43 1 26060 -5738 / Fax +43 1 26060 -5895 / icpdr@unvienna. org / www. icpdr. org