The tap water in Germany is already relatively clean. A resolution by the EU Parliament now stipulates that it will become even cleaner. What exactly is it about?
Although the tap water in this country is of drinking water quality, it still contains many micropollutants, such as those found in medicines and cosmetics. The EU Parliament now stipulates that these residues should be increasingly filtered out of wastewater in the future.
The decision in detail
In the future, cities and municipalities with 10,000 inhabitants or more in the European Union will have to increasingly remove micropollutants from medicines and cosmetics from their wastewater. In addition, by 2035, municipalities must additionally purify their wastewater (especially sewage sludge) and test it for viruses (e.g. SARS-CoV-2), microplastics and persistent chemicals. A particular focus is on phosphorus and nitrogen. Excessive nitrogen and phosphorus levels in water bodies, rivers and lakes lead, among other things, to increased algae production, which in turn is harmful to many fish and other aquatic creatures.
In order to cover the costs of the new cleaning systems, manufacturers of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics must cover at least 80 percent of the costs. The Federal Association of the Energy and Water Industry (BDEW) spoke of a “milestone” and emphasized that the law creates incentives to reduce pollutants at the source and to develop environmentally friendly products.
EU Member States remain committed to improving and facilitating citizens' access to sanitation.
The members of the European Parliament decided this on Wednesday in Brussels as part of a legal reform. The MPs had already agreed on the stricter rules with the representatives of the 27 member states at the end of January. In Brussels, 481 MPs voted for the law, 79 against and 26 abstained. The EU countries now have to formally agree to the law and implement the rules into national law.
