Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
2 Challenges in the Water and Wastewater Sector
in Germany and Europe
Water is essential for human beings and at the same time a public good. The
European Water Framework Directive (WFD) clari
water is not a com-
mercial product like any other but rather a heritage which must be protected,
defended and treated as such
es that
(EP/EC 2000 , p. 1). Therefore, water and wastewater
management, as part of the infrastructure systems and services for the public,
carries particular meaning.
2.1 General Characteristics
Apart from water being a public good, water and wastewater systems exhibit
speci
c features due to physical circumstances. Networks for drinking water supply
and wastewater disposal are in general characterized through long-lasting systems
with a high capital lock-up. Due to this structure, these systems exhibit a marginal
adaptability. Once investment decisions are made, the type of water supply and
wastewater disposal is influenced over a very long period.
The situation of water/waste water management in Germany is characterized
through a high connection rate of 99 % for drinking water and 95 % for wastewater
(Eurostat 2013a , b ). The quality of the system can be identi
ed as good or even
very good. For most countries in Europe, the connection rates are comparable,
ranging between 75 and 100 %. However, in some countries such as Bosnia and
Herzegovina or Romania, the population connected to drinking water only amounts
to some 50 %. The rates for wastewater are in general lower than other European
countries (60
99 %) and in some cases, the rate is even lower (e.g. Croatia 29 %,
Macedonia 9 %).
According to the statistical data of the European Environmental Agency (EEA),
there are regional differences across Europe in terms of the connection to waste-
water collection (see Fig. 1 ). While North and Central Europe have the highest rates
of connection, the numbers in the south and east are lower. The connection rate in
the southeast is the lowest (65 % in 2009). However, within the recent decade,
many European countries with relatively low connection rates developed water
systems, and in particular, the south could catch up with the leading groups.
Nevertheless, the situation in southeast Europe is still characterized by a large
proportion of collection without treatment.
Despite the principally good water quality, some watercourses and bodies
including groundwater suffer from increased input of nutrients such as nitrates for
which intensive agriculture is made responsible (UN Water 2012 , p. 185). Con-
cerning the ecological quality of surface water in Europe, the EEA, however,
alludes that
-
(EEA
2013 , p. 64). Especially in Central Europe (northern Germany, Netherlands,
“…
less than half
are reported to have good ecological status
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