Water / Wastewater 49 TALKING POINT


Is the Seine cleaner than the Thames?


After the contamination caused by industrialisation in the 20th century, both the Seine and the Thames, widely regarded as fi lthy in the past, have both undergone signifi cant transformations in their water quality over recent years, enabling what most Parisians would regard as a sort of miracle: Olympians swimming in the Seine.


The Seine has seen considerable improvements in water quality in preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympics. A major cleanup project, costing around $1.5 billion, aimed to make the river swimmable again after nearly a century of prohibitions. As part of these eff orts, new infrastructure has been developed to reduce pollution from stormwater runoff and combined sewer overfl ows. These improvements have led to the planned reintroduction of public swimming in the Seine, with multiple designated swimming areas expected to open by 2025.


Despite these advances, the Seine still faces signifi cant pollution challenges. During events such as heavy rainfall, combined sewer overfl ows can introduce high levels of contaminants, including E. coli and other harmful bacteria. Recent data showed that while planktonic E. coli levels might decrease temporarily due to rainwater dilution, comprehensive


E.coli counts, which include bacteria clumped onto fecal or sediment particles, often remain high. These aggregated bacteria pose a greater health risk and complicate water quality management. Nevertheless, over both Olympics and Paralympics, the triathlon and marathon swimming competitions will be taking place in the Seine, subject to continued monitoring by offi cials.


The Thames has had a similar journey, seeing dramatic improvements in water quality since the mid-20th century. Major infrastructure projects like the Thames Tideway Tunnel have been implemented to signifi cantly reduce sewage overfl ows into the river. These eff orts have led to a resurgence in biodiversity, with the Thames now supporting various species of fi sh, birds, and other wildlife. Like the Seine in 2024, the Thames is generally considered safe for swimming but bathers are made aware that they are potentially exposing themselves, especially after heavy rains. But like the Seine, there is considerable trepidation, and high-profi le cases like the Court to Kingston Swim in 2012, after which over 300 participants fell ill, haven’t assuaged anyone’s doubts.


So, while both the Thames and the Seine have achieved highly Successful IFAT exhibition refl ects global growth in the environmental technology industry


IFAT Munich 2024, which took place from May 13 to 17 at the Munich Exhibition Centre, ended with a top attendance: Around 142,000 visitors from nearly 170 countries and regions attended the world’s leading trade fair for water, sewage, waste and raw materials management. The share of international visitors was over 50 percent and thus higher than ever. The number of international exhibitors also reached a new record: 55 percent of the 3,211 exhibitors came from abroad. Companies from a total of 61 countries and regions took part in the trade fair. With 300,000 square meters of space, IFAT Munich 2024 was also the largest ever.


“IFAT Munich provides encouragement and gives us strength for the future,” says Stefan Rummel, CEO of Messe München. “The challenges of our time, such as the climate crisis or the shortage of raw materials, can only be solved with technology. Whether it’s the transformation of municipalities towards more climate resilience or industry towards a more circular economy: IFAT Munich is the event which presents solutions for our future. I am delighted that IFAT Munich has received more attention than ever this year, from politics and business, to associations and companies.”


For the Chairman of the IFAT Munich Advisory Board, Dr. Johannes F. Kirchhoff, this year’s event was “an absolute highlight. Where else can you meet the most important representatives from the industry from all over the world in just fi ve days? I am very impressed by the variety of technologies and innovations that were presented here. The environmental technology sector is undoubtedly one of the most innovative industries at the moment—this was clearly demonstrated here at IFAT Munich.”


The key issues at IFAT Munich this year centered around how the world can adapt to climate change and actively protect the environment, for example by achieving international climate protection targets. The circular economy plays a key role, as it can help to effectively reduce the (primary) raw materials that need to be used. “In an increasingly technological world with ever more complex products, the circular economy is facing immense challenges. At IFAT, we can discuss these issues with customers, partners and new contacts and work on solutions together,” says Thomas Conzendorf, member of the Remondis Management Board. “IFAT is an important forum for us as a group because it combines the relevant topics and issues of the water and recycling industries in the most effi cient way.”


Communities play a special role on the path to better climate resilience. When it comes to dealing with heavy rainfall and fl ooding, extreme heat and water shortages, they rely on effective technological solutions. “IFAT Munich 2024 was once again a very good platform for mutual exchange and for advancing developments in various industries. Water and wastewater management, waste and recycling industries are very important for promoting the circular economy and climate resilience. Water, energy, the environment and climate are among the most important issues of our time,” says Rainer Köhler, Chief Sales Offi cer of Huber SE. “My personal impression of this year’s IFAT is very positive: At our Huber booth we had many interested visitors from our relevant areas: Wastewater treatment plant operators, sewage treatment plant operators, planners, engineering offi ces, representatives from local authorities and industry and many more from Germany and abroad.”


The importance of the topics and environmental technologies presented at IFAT Munich is also demonstrated by the increased internationality, especially from overseas. “China ranked third among the exhibitors this year with strong participation. The country is also in the top ten in visitor numbers,” explains Philipp Eisenmann, Exhibition Director of IFAT Munich: “We have also seen strong growth in visitors from the USA, Australia, India, Japan and South Korea.”


The next IFAT Munich will be held at the Munich Exhibition Center from May 4 to 8, 2026. For More Info, email:


63062pr@reply-direct.com EU Council agrees to negotiating mandate to update list of surface water and pollutants email:


The Council of the European Union has agreed to its negotiating mandate on the directive, which will amend the water framework directive, the groundwater directive, and the directive on environmental quality standards. The proposal includes an update on priority substances and environmental quality standards in surface water and groundwater. New pollutants and related quality standards for some per- and poly-fl uorinated alkyl substances (PFAS), pharmaceuticals, and pesticides have now been added to the list of priority pollutants.


The Council’s mandate balances ambitious goals for the EU’s water policy with fl exibility for member states in implementing water legislation, maintaining a level playing fi eld, and reducing administrative burden.


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The Council has taken another important step towards further improving the quality of European water. Reducing pollutants and extending the monitoring to new substances, like forever chemicals or pharmaceuticals, in surface waters and groundwater is crucial to protecting human health and our ecosystems.


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The Commission’s proposal to add quality standards for non-relevant metabolites of pesticides has been simplifi ed. The Council also added the obligation for the Commission to establish a list of known pesticides, indicating whether they are relevant.


Member states agreed to maintain the Commission’s proposal for listing individual pharmaceutical products, such as painkillers, anti-infl ammatory drugs, and antibiotics. The negotiating mandate provides a stepwise approach when there is evidence that stricter quality standards must be set to protect the ecosystem.


The water framework directive requires member states to submit their river basin management plans and report on the status of water bodies in their countries. The current directive applies a one- out-of-all-out principle, which means that all ecological and chemical indicators should meet the quality standards set in EU legislation.


This principle makes it diffi cult to show overall progress. Therefore, member states agreed that the Commission will set indicators at EU level to measure progress uniformly, even in situations where not all quality standards are in good standing.


The negotiating mandate provides intermediate reporting, new monitoring techniques, including remote sensing, and the possibility of setting up an EU-wide monitoring facility to help member states with their tasks.


Member states also clarifi ed the concept of deterioration of a water body’s status: short-term


activities with no lasting consequences or relocation of already existing pollution within or between waterbodies will not be considered deterioration as long as they do not produce an overall increase in pollution.


The negotiating mandate narrows the scope of groundwater substances identifi ed as being of national concern and sets EU-wide values only for synthetic substances. In addition, member states will have until 2039 to achieve good groundwater chemical status.


As groundwater is the primary source of drinking water in many member states, the negotiating mandate aligns the groundwater PFAS requirement with the drinking water directive, which sets quality standards for 20 PFAS and includes quality standards for the four most problematic PFAS.


The negotiating mandate introduces a mandatory ‘watch list mechanism’ for groundwater like the one already in place for surface water. The Council clarifi ed that microplastics and anti-microbial resistance genes would be included in the watch list only once harmonised monitoring and evaluation standards are in place.


In their negotiating mandate, member states stressed the need to update the relevant pollutants list for surface water and groundwater through legislative acts adopted according to the ordinary legislative procedure instead of the initial proposal to amend them via delegated acts of the Commission.


The negotiating mandate allows member states to transpose the directive in two years instead of 18 months, as the Commission initially proposed.


The agreement on the Council’s negotiating mandate allows its presidency to start talks with the European Parliament on the fi nal text. The European Parliament adopted its position on 24 April 2024.


Chemical pollution of surface and groundwater poses a threat to the aquatic environment, with effects such as acute and chronic toxicity in marine organisms, accumulation of pollutants in the ecosystem and loss of habitats and biodiversity, as well as to human health.


This proposal addresses the legal obligation of the EU to review the lists of pollutants affecting surface and groundwaters regularly. Setting environmental standards contributes to the European Green Deal’s zero-pollution ambition of having an environment free of harmful pollution by 2050.


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For More Info, email: 63063pr@reply-direct.com WWW.ENVIROTECH-ONLINE.COM


signifi cant improvements in water quality and safety, there are lingering questions. Both the French authorities and plenty of Parisians will be crossing their fi ngers in the hopes that no Olympians fall sick after competing in the Seine. If they’re given the all-clear, Paris will have even more to boast about.


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