Wastewater Treatment: Here are the regulations to refer to

What are the regulations to comply with regarding wastewater treatment? And how to verify if the treatment plant we have decided to install is truly compliant? 

Here is a useful guide to navigate through certifications and regulations, to choose safe solutions, approved by current legislation, for which it is possible to enjoy the tax benefits in force without incurring possible penalties from the Revenue Agency.  

Let’s start with the principle: all wastewater treatment plants fall under the systems serving buildings, regardless of their intended use. 

  This macro-classification is, in legislative terms, a fundamental discriminant: all treatment plants, in Italy as in the entire European territory, are subject to the DM 37/08, which requires the issuance of a declaration of conformity during new construction, transformation, expansion, modification, or extraordinary maintenance work.   More specifically, it is important to know that the products usable for the construction of wastewater treatment plants fall within the scope of Regulation 305/2011. This regulation prohibits the marketing of construction products that lack a DoP and are not CE marked, provided they fall under a harmonized standard.  

In practical terms, to select, design, and install a wastewater treatment plant in full regulatory compliance, it is advisable to pay attention to three fundamental aspects:

1. the exclusive use of regulated and CE certified products;

2. design in accordance with current regulations regarding drainage systems;

3. installation by a qualified company, capable of issuing the Declaration of Conformity as required by DM 37/08.

Point 1: exclusive use of regulated and CE certified products. 

  To verify that the construction products you are considering purchasing meet the market entry conditions set by Legislative Decree No. 106, which regulates the adaptation of the legislation to the provisions of the EU Regulation 305/11, we suggest identifying the harmonized technical standard related to the product's scope, requesting the declaration of performance from the manufacturer (EN12566 for an individual treatment plant), and then checking for both the presence of the CE marking and the DoP Declaration of Performance.  

Point 2: compliance with current regulations regarding drainage systems

  In Italy, the reference regulations are:

• Legislative Decree 152 issued on May 11, 1999, which implements Community Directive 91/271/EEC concerning urban wastewater treatment.
• Ministerial Decree 198, which came into force on September 18, 2002, “Implementation methods on the quality status of waters, pursuant to Article 3, paragraph 7, of Legislative Decree May 11, 1999, No. 152”
• Legislative Decree 152/06 “Environmental Consolidated Law” which redefines urban, domestic, and industrial wastewater
• Legislative Decree 152/06 in force since 09/08/17, which regulates the adaptation of national legislation according to the provisions of Regulation (EU) No. 305/2011 concerning small wastewater treatment systems up to 50 AE (EN 12566).

  We recommend reviewing these regulations and exploring the presence of specific regulations at the regional or provincial level.  

Point 3: installation by a qualified company

  Only a qualified and prepared company can issue the Declaration of Conformity, a document that, in accordance with the model published with the DM 37/08, must be accompanied by a “report with the type of materials”, a “scheme of the works carried out”, and a copy of the certificate of possession of professional qualifications issued by the Chamber of Commerce.   It all starts from the beginning; an individual treatment system must be CE EN12566, without this requirement it cannot be compliant with the rest of the laws. A truly compliant wastewater treatment plant is therefore a sum of factors. A team effort that requires specific skills and essential checks for progressive phases.   To avoid penalties, building discrepancies, the loss of acquired tax benefits, or risks to your health or the environment, we suggest relying on the support of industry specialists, just like us!  

Does it seem complicated to perform a suitable check on the DoP and CE?  

Do you want to be sure that the documents you find on the market are correct? 

Do you find wastewater treatment systems on the market and want to verify their correct CE and DoP?     

  Contact us and we will be by your side, providing you with a team with technical and legal specialist skills for free.