Joint workshop on Enhancing efficiency and sustainability of Water Supply and Sanitation presentation - Katharina Lenz, Factors influencing a choice of technology and business model for WSS provision

1. FACTORS INFLUENCING A CHOICE OF TECHNOLOGY
AND BUSINESS MODEL FOR WSS PROVISION
DR. KATHARINA LENZ, 15.6.2021
© B. Groeger/ Umweltbundesamt
© Georg Windhofer/Umweltbundesamt

2. | Factors influencing a choice of technology and business model for WSS provision
CONTENTS (EXAMPLE WASTE WATER)
2
 Players in the Austrian (waste)water sector
 Austrian wastewater treatment (facts and figures)
 Structure of wastewater service
 Financing of wastewater service

3. | Factors influencing a choice of technology and business model for WSS provision
PLAYERS IN THE AUSTRIAN WATER
SERVICE SECTOR
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 Federal Ministry for Agriculture, Regions and Tourism 
wastewater
 Federal Ministry of Health  drinking water
 Provinces of Austria (9)
 Municipalities (2100)
 Associations
 Austrian Water and Waste Management Association (ÖWAV)
 Sewer and wastewater treatment plants neighbourhoods (KAN)
 Austrian Technical and Scientific Association for Gas and Water (ÖVGW)

4. | Factors influencing a choice of technology and business model for WSS provision
4
Wastewater collection/ treatment
Sizeclass
(PE)
Number of
WWTP
% number
Organic
design
capacity
(PE)
% organic
design
capacity
≤ 50 27 452 93,6% 260 500 1,2%
51 - 1.999 1 236 4,2% 455 862 2,0%
≥ 2.000 633 2,2% 21 579 063 96,8%
Total 29 321 100% 22 295 425 100%
 Each province has individual Building Laws and/or
Sewer Connection Acts  Connection to existing
sewer systems and UWWTPs > 50 PE is mandatory
 Topological reasons for choice of system:
 Lowlands: central collection without pumping  UWWTPs
 Hilly regions: collection requires pumping  small WWTP
 Alpine valleys: central collection at the bottom UWWTPs
 Wastewater treatment plants in AT:
Sewer connection rate (%) on district level
Small wastewater treatment plants (≤ 50 PE)
(number/1000 inhabitants)
SOURCE: ÖWAV (2019). Branchenbild der österreichischen
Abwasserwirtschaft 2020. Österreichischer Wasser- und
Abfallwirtschaftsverband (ÖWAV), Wien.
Available at:
https://www.oewav.at/Publikationen?current=385139&mode=form

5. | Factors influencing a choice of technology and business model for WSS provision
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Organisation of wastewater collection/ treatment
Sewer systems according to their length (%) UWWTPs according to their size (%)
Cooperatives or natural persons
Municipalities
 (Waste) water cooperatives (§73ff of the AT Water Act): local interested parties, natural persons
 (Waste) water associations (§87ff of the AT Water Act): several municipalities, public law entities
 Municipal enterprises: legally independent companies that can be established by municipalities
Associations
Municipal enterprises
Wastewater treatment in AT is a clear municipal task, private companies are an exemption
SOURCE: ÖWAV (2019). Branchenbild der österreichischen
Abwasserwirtschaft 2020. Österreichischer Wasser- und
Abfallwirtschaftsverband (ÖWAV), Wien.
Available at:
https://www.oewav.at/Publikationen?current=385139&mode=form

6. | Factors influencing a choice of technology and business model for WSS provision
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Costs of wastewater collection/ treatment
Euro/PE/a
Euro/PE/a
Size of UWWTP
Euro/PE/a
SOURCE: ÖWAV (2019). Benchmarking für Kläranlagen – Öffentlicher Bericht 2019. Available at:
https://www.abwasserbenchmarking.at/downloads/public-reports/Oeffentlicher-Bericht-ARA-2019.pdf

7. | Factors influencing a choice of technology and business model for WSS provision
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Financing of wastewater collection/ treatment
 Possibilities to finance UWWTP in AT:
 Taxes/ fees
 Funds (federal, provincial)
Sewer connection fees
Source: ÖWAV (2020): Funded projects from 1993 -
2018
Provincial
funds
Federal funds
Wastewater
treatment fees Own
ressources
(savings)
Taxes/ fees for investment and operation:
National level
 Fiscal Constitutional Law (BGBl. I Nr. 194/1999) legitimates
municipalities to charge fees on the services they provide.
 The range of these fees is regulated in the Fiscal Equalisation Law
(BGBl. I Nr. 116/2016).
Provincial level
 Individual regulations in 9 provinces for fees/ taxes for collecting systems

8. | Factors influencing a choice of technology and business model for WSS provision
Municipal level:
 Different models to calculate wastewater fees (e.g. water consumption/a, built-up area, number of toilets)
 Average wastewater fee in AT (2018): 161 €/inh./a = 2.2 €/m³ (= 1.3% of average net disposable income)1
 Average annual wastewater fee (incl. UST) of a sample
household at the district level weighted according
to municipality size (inhabitants)
 Funds are only granted in case of minimum
wastewater fees
 Funds since 1959: 49 billion € for wastewater treatment
1ÖWAV (2020). Branchenbild der Österreichischen Abwasserwirtschaft 2020. Österreichischer
Wasser- und Abfallwirtschaftsverband (ÖWAV) und Kommunalkredit Public Consulting (KPC).
Available at: https://www.publicconsulting.at/aktuelles/aktuelles-
detail/newseintrag/zeige/branchenbild-abwasser-2020.html
Financing of wastewater collection/ treatment

9. | Factors influencing a choice of technology and business model for WSS provision
CONTACT & INFORMATION
Dr. Katharina Lenz
katharina.lenz@umweltbundesamt.at
DI Clemens Steidl
clemens.steidl@umweltbundesamt.at
9
Umweltbundesamt
www.umweltbundesamt.at
ENHANCING SUSTAINABILITY AND EFFICIENCY OF WSS PROVISION
Online  15.6.2021