Wastewater Environment Act target delivery plan
Statutory Environment Act target
- that the load of total phosphorus discharged into freshwaters from relevant discharges is, by 31st December 2038, at least 80% lower than the 2020 baseline
Interim target
- reduce phosphorus loadings from treated wastewater by 55% by December 2030 against a 2020 baseline
Rationale for the interim target: why and how it will progress delivery of the Environment Act target
The updated interim target accounts for the proposed scale of phosphorus reduction programmes in the 2025 to 2030 water company investment cycle (£4.627 billion) in England.
As most planned phosphorus removal upgrades will not be delivered until towards the end of Asset Management Period (AMP) 8 (the 5 year period to 31 March 2030), the updated 2030 interim target date will reflect all the planned upgrades for the period. Subsequent AMPs will drive further progress towards the final target reduction level in 2038, spreading the cost of delivery as evenly as possible over the full target period. This helps to prevent spikes in customer bills by minimising upfront costs and spreading infrastructure upgrades, avoiding bottlenecks.
We are using the same metric for our interim target as for our statutory Environment Act target. This is an effective way to monitor the progress made by water companies through the investment cycles. We will measure progress objectively through a formal metric measuring phosphorus load reduction, and through tracking the number of phosphorus reduction schemes delivered as planned during the 5 year investment cycle. We expect to meet the statutory target in 2038 through the delivery mechanisms laid out in this plan.
Delivery measures
Table 1. Summary of delivery measures supporting the wastewater delivery plan
| Delivery measure | Description | Estimated contribution to the interim targets | Evidence of impact | Responsible | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wastewater treatment improvement schemes | We will ensure appropriate business planning and implementation of wastewater treatment improvement schemes through existing 5 year water company investment cycles. | High | Phosphorus reduction programmes in the 2025 to 2030 water company investment cycle total £4.627 billion for England. This will help achieve the interim wastewater target. Additional phosphorus reduction programmes will take place in the 2030 to 2035 and 2035 to 2040 investment cycles, enabling the long-term target to be achieved. |
Defra Water industry investment cycles are managed by Ofwat Environment Agency (EA) |
In delivery |
| Permitting and enforcement of permits | The EA will tighten relevant wastewater discharge permits to reduce phosphorus levels. Water companies are required to deliver agreed programmes of phosphorus removal upgrades. EA adds phosphorus limits into wastewater treatment work permits once a site is capable of removing phosphorus. Where limits already exist, the EA will strengthen them in line with deadlines to upgrade phosphorus removal, ensuring higher levels of treatment are maintained. |
High | The EA enforces compliance with phosphorus permit conditions. Compliance with phosphorus permit limits has historically been high (more than 99%). We are therefore confident in using environmental permits as a tool in the delivery of phosphorus reductions. | EA | In delivery |
Key milestones
The end date of AMP8 is 31 March 2030, by which time all phosphorus improvement schemes planned as part of the current 5 year investment cycle are due to be completed. Following this, the relevant wastewater treatment works’ permit limits will be updated to reflect improved phosphorus removal standards. These improved standards are planned at a level that will deliver the interim target reduction.
Monitoring and evaluation summary
Work is ongoing to establish an improved calculation methodology for the wastewater target. This will lead to more transparent and reproducible estimates from the 2020 baseline and future progress monitoring.
Defra receives phosphorus removal scheme delivery updates from the EA around June on an annual basis. These updates will be reflected in EIP annual progress reports. Delivery of these schemes enables reductions in the amount of phosphorus discharged from wastewater treatment works to the water environment, in accordance with more stringent permit conditions that reflect this improved removal capacity. The phosphorus reduction scheme programme is structured to deliver a trajectory of overall phosphorus load reduction that will enable the interim and long-term wastewater targets to be met, and the EA regularly assesses permit compliance as part of this.