Balancing costs and water quality in meeting EU directives (the Upper/Middle Odra case study in Poland)

Abstract

This paper reports on a pilot study of water quality management strategies for the Upper and Middle Odra River basin in Poland. The study was undertaken to test an approach for setting targets for compliance with European Union directives in the water sector, focusing particularly on urban wastewater. These interim targets are important for the government and the EU to be able to monitor whether Poland is making adequate progress towards full compliance. The study shows clearly that an approach based solely on specifying effluent control standards and corresponding treatment technologies for various sources of pollution is extremely expensive relative to the amount of environmental improvement achieved. Applying least cost solution for meeting specific water quality standards in the Odra river costs significantly less. Adopting a least cost strategy for meeting specific water quality objectives therefore offers great potential for both reducing compliance costs in the interim period and accelerating the environmental benefits that will result.