Resources - Position papers

Water and agriculture are essential for life. However, agriculture increasingly affects the quantity and the quality of drinking water resources. EurEau insists on the proper implementation EU legislation so as to protect health and the environment.

Decreasing water consumption is an economic challenge for water and waste water operators, since most of their costs are fixed but their income is closely linked to consumption. Given that 60-80% of the costs are fixed, measures should guarantee that all fixed costs are recovered, for example by a better tariff structure.

The Fertiliser Regulation opens the door to using recovered phosphorus from sewage sludge in fertiliser products. Including treated input materials from waste water treatment plants as a component in fertilisers promotes recycling and is better for the environment.

Glyphosate is routinely found in raw water resources across Europe. We support measures taken to control the concentrations of this chemical in surface waters and in urban run-off. It is vital that consumers across Europe have access to safe drinking water. We need access to clean water resources that are free from contaminants such as microplastics and micropollutants. This protects the environment, and consumers from additional costs.

The UN officially acknowledged the human right to water and sanitation. To realise this right, water and sanitation must be available, accessible, affordable, acceptable, and safe. EurEau members provide consumers with water that meet some of the world’s strictest standards, every day. Pricing policies and affordability mechanisms play a fundamental role in this.

Water is life. But these services have a cost that is covered by the water bill. In case citizens (domestic households), cannot afford to pay their bill, laws or contract agreements foresee measures to allow both customers and water services to maintain the service provided. This document summarises the procedures in place in EurEau members’ countries.

Banning amalgam will help sludge from waste water treatment meet the quality standards to be reused in fertilisers, improving the environment.

Water operators are fully committed to delivering strong governance in water services provision through transparency, accountability and stakeholder engagement. To pursue this, key relevant information for consumers should be made widely available by water operators.

The EU must do more to minimise the impacts of the exploration for and extraction of unconventional onshore hydrocarbons on water and waste water services. We need access to clean water resources that are free from contaminants. This protects the environment, and consumers from additional costs.

Protecting surface water sources from contamination is vital for ensuring a supply of clean and safe drinking water for us now and for our future generations. EurEau insists on the proper implementation EU legislation so as to protect health and the environment

EurEau members are fully committed to public transparency. This empowers customers and stakeholders to improve their awareness of water matters and express their interest, ideas and expectations.

EU legislation must ensure protection of drinking water resources and safe and healthy drinking water for European citizens. INSPIRE must provide relevant data about the soil, and groundwater and surface water quality.

Pharmaceuticals can end up in the water cycle. EurEau believes that good agricultural practices should be promoted and incentivised to reduce the amount of pharmaceuticals in the environment and protect water resources. We want to prevent contaminants from entering the water cycle in the first place. If this is not possible, EurEau insists on the proper implementation EU legislation so as to protect health, the environment and protect consumers from additional costs.

Microplastics can enter the water cycle in many ways and are not entirely biodegradable. They can accumulate and could pose a threat to our water resources and ecosystems. Control at source is essential for microplastics to prevent them from entering the environment. We need extended producer responsibility. Additional treatment steps exist which will lead to increased tariffs for consumers.

Increased treatment to provide consumers with clean water means increased consumer costs.

Phosphorus is a scarce yet vital resource. Recycling phosphorus from sewage sludge in fertiliser products promotes recycling and is better for the environment.

Protecting groundwater sources from contamination is vital for ensuring a supply of clean and safe drinking water for us now and for our future generations. EurEau insists on the proper implementation EU legislation so as to protect health and the environment

Residues of pharmaceutical products are known to occur widely in the aquatic environment of industrialized countries. The primary path to the environment for human drugs is domestic wastewater. This paper discusses the substances from pharmaceutical residues found in the aquatic environment and their concentrations throughout member states. 

The results indicate that the pattern of detectable compounds is quite similar all over Europe. This problem can be solved only on a global scale by promoting international chemicals safety and developing appropriate countermeasures.

Access to clean water is essential for our health. EurEau members provide consumers with water that meet some of the world’s strictest standards, every day.

Pharmaceuticals products are essential to our society’s health and their use is likely to increase in the future due to a growing ageing population. We want to prevent pharmaceuticals from entering the water cycle in the first place. If this is not possible, EurEau insists on the proper implementation EU legislation so as to protect health, the environment and protect consumers from additional costs.