Tax to update the wastewater treatment plants to treat micropollutants, Switzerland: Legislative, financial and technical dimensions,

1. Florian Thevenon
florian.thevenon@yahoo.fr
The pioneering strategy in Switzerland to
treat micropollutants: Legislative,
Financial and Technical measures
OECD Workshop on Managing Contaminants of
Emerging Concern in Surface Waters
Paris, 5 February 2018

2. Lake Neuchâtel in 1964 (Keystone)
Until the 50s, wastewater dumped directly
into rivers and lakes, resulting in dying fish,
bad smells and swimming bans (eutrophic
lakes in the 60s)
Federal country: 26 Cantons
Large EU lakes, sources or tributaries of major EU
rivers (Rhine, Rhone, Danube) 65’000 km
Lakes  20% of drinking water (170 litre/day)
 Water tower of Europe
Switzerland: 6% of the continent’s freshwater resources

3. Ex. Lake Geneva: Drinking water for more than 800’000 people & Wastewater of 1‘4 million
The success of WWTPs since the 1960s
MercuryLeadPhosphorus
Mercury
Treated wastewater from Lausanne
Thevenon et al.
Industrial
Revolution
WWTPs

4. Risk of contamination of recreational water, food & drinking water
Keystone
FR river to refill Geneva
water table (drinking
water source)
Biodiversity and fish resource
Lake Geneva: 1000 t/fish/year

5. WWTPs = Main point source of micropollutants entering aquatic ecosystems
EAWAG  FOEN
Concentration of Diclofenac in rivers

6. Strategy for reducing micropollutants in municipal wastewater
Led by FOEN, focusing on financing solution, planning of measures  technical processes.
Evaluation of the situation/needs in working groups. Collaboration with Cantons, WW operators,
research & industry.
Preferred by actors closely involved in the decision‐making process
(authorities, wastewater associations)
Preferred by industry, business, farmers, research community  int. actors
(Swiss responsibility + cleantech exports)
Reactive approach: Eliminate chemicals via end‐of‐pipe solution (WWTPs)
Preventive approach: Reduce chemicals at source
More logic, less expensive but difficult to implement…
More costly, but predictable, measurable and feasible…

7. Legislation: Parliamentary intervention  legal requirements
 1957: The Waters Protection Act  Ordinance were enacted
 1971: The treatment of wastewater was written into law
 1953: Protection of lakes and rivers in the Federal Constitution
 2014: The 2 parliamentary chambers approved the revision of the Waters Protection Act &
agreed to finance the upgrading of 100 WWTPs (over 700) based on the polluter‐pays‐
principle (the consumer, not the industry)
 2006‐2011: MicroPoll strategy
80% removal of organic trace substances
> 80’000 pollutant load reduction
> 24’000 into lakes catchment areas drinking water protection
> 8’000 if effluents > 10% dilution environmental protection

8. Financial: New Federal sewage tax based on polluter pays principle
Total investment to equip 100 WWTPs: ca. 1 billion €
Increase annual costs (incl. electricity): ca. 115 million €
Total increased < 20 €/person/year
Most (75%) of the investment payed by national budget:
 Everyone pays a new tax of 9 €/person/year
 Since 2016 to 2040
 Municipalities with upgraded WWTPs exempted
 The rest (25% of the investment + operation costs) covered by the municipalities
Regendorf WWTP pilot test

9. Removal with ozone (%)
Removal with charcoal (%)
Margot et al., 2013
Technology: Removal from 20% to 80% of micropollutants
• Both treatments are feasible  significantly
reduce the toxicity of WWTP effluent
• Specific substances were removed more
efficiently by ozone
• Charcoal removed a wider range of pollutants
• Some are resistant to both treatments
 avoid their release into the sewer system
(e.g. incineration of patient urine)
 Avoid the formation of toxic or stable transformation products
 Integration into existing infrastructure and operation feasible

10. Lavaux Vineyard Terraces UNESCO World Heritage Site$
Long‐term at‐source measures: Information (behaviour consumers),
regulation for application of substances  ban, taxes and fines
80‐90 % wastewater not treated + non‐point source diffuse pollution (runoff)
Most of the emerging pollutants not treated by WWTP and do not degrade
Long‐term health threat (cocktail effect? & bioaccumulation)
Ex. (Micro) plastics  International instruments, national & private initiatives
Improve Institutional Coordination to Develop Integrated Policies
Monitoring to develop national targets
6.3.1 Proportion of wastewater safely
treated
6.3.2 Proportion of bodies of water
with good ambient water quality