Challenges and Needs

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) collect many man-made micropollutants, such as active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), and discharge them into our environment. To reduce this pollution, the new urban wastewater treatment directive (UWWTD) requires large WWTPs with more than 150,000 PE to install advanced (quaternary) treatment by 2030. Based on risk assessment, mid-sized WWTPs from 10,000 PE to 100,000 PE must also be prioritized.

Regional environmental authorities and must assess risks, prioritize and select WWTPs to be upgraded, and decide on the most cost-effective solutions together with WWTP operators. However, they face significant challenges:

1. API emissions and removal rates from WWTPs are rarely measured.
2. Surface water data is limited to a few monitoring sites.
3. There are no standardized tools for risk assessment or evaluating mitigation measures á priori.

To make informed decisions, authorities and WWTP operators in charge need reliable data, practical tools, and clear guidance on how to assess risks and reduce pollution efficiently.

Solution

APRIORA has developed an innovative approach to fill these gaps by providing:

1. A risk assessment framework that integrates and combines monitoring, modelling and multi-criteria risk evaluation.
2. An open-source GIS tool for visualizing pollution data and providing regional risk maps that clearly shows which WWTPs need action first.
3. A capacity building programme to help authorities and WWTP operators apply this tool in their daily work.

Piloting the solution in real-life conditions

To make sure the solution works well, APRIORA is currently testing the approach in five river catchments across the Baltic Sea Region countries Finland, Germany, Latvia, Poland and Sweden. Regional authorities in charge are actively participating in the piloting, working alongside scientific experts to ensure the solution meets their actual needs.

The Goal: Smarter, more cost-effective Wastewater Management

With APRIORA’s solution, decision-makers will not only be able to identify which WWTPs need urgent mitigation but can also explore cost-effective solutions – such as adding advanced treatment, redirecting wastewater to other plants, or even closing inefficient facilities.

By making risk-based prioritization practical and accessible, APRIORA is paving the way for cleaner waters and smarter investments in wastewater management to reduce the pollution of our waters.