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The city and its public utilities clearly advocate for producer responsibility
Riedstadt. The city of Riedstadt and the Riedstadt municipal utilities expressly support the position of the leading municipal associations regarding the new EU Municipal Wastewater Directive (KARL). This support stems from the ongoing discussion about a possible reversal of extended producer responsibility , which, among other things, manufacturers of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics to share responsibility for persistent organic pollutants in wastewater.
A fairer distribution of burdens is the focus
After years of negotiations, the new Wastewater Directive was adopted in Brussels in December 2024. A key element is the introduction of a fourth treatment stage for wastewater treatment plants in municipalities with more than 10,000 population equivalents. The aim is of microplastics and trace substances such as pharmaceutical residues or cosmetic residues.
Instead of passing the resulting costs solely on to citizens, the directive, for the first time, also provides for the involvement industry in the financing , Marcus Kretschmann , and the head of the municipal utilities, Saskia Kirsch, expressly welcome:
"We must defend this major step towards a fairer distribution of the burden," they both emphasize in unison.
Billions in investments are on the horizon
Implementing the new cleaning level will significant investment . For municipalities, this means high construction and operating costs that cannot be borne solely by ratepayers in the long run.
"It cannot be that municipalities and their citizens alone bear the costs, while those responsible for the pollution remain untouched," said Kirsch.
Political resistance is currently forming against the new regulation. Representatives from industry and business, in particular, are demanding a reversal of producer responsibility. This is opposed by the German Association of Cities, the German Association of Counties, the German Association of Towns and Municipalities, and the Association of Municipal Enterprises (VKU) – supported by municipalities such as Riedstadt.
Appeal to politicians
The city and municipal utilities of Riedstadt are therefore appealing to all decision-makers to prevent
weakening of the EU directive "The Municipal Wastewater Directive must be fully and legally transposed into national law," said Kretschmann. "Only in this way can we jointly protect the environment, public health, and municipal budgets in the long term."
(Riedstadt - Red/PSR)
Featured image: The central wastewater treatment plant in Riedstadt-Goddelau . Photo: City of Riedstadt
