A new awareness campaign titled “Eaux usées – Wat leeft?” – “Wastewater – what goes down the drain?” aims to answer a simple but important question: what should and should not be disposed of via the toilet or sink.
Launched by the Ministry of the Environment in cooperation with Luxembourg Association of Water Services (ALUSEAU) and the Water Management Agency, the campaign seeks to inform the public about the importance of wastewater management.
According to the sector association ALUSEAU, wastewater issues often remain invisible, even though the problems are very real.
Ronny Diederich, engineer at the Intercommunal Union for Wastewater Purification of the North (SIDEN) and member of ALUSEAU’s current campaign working group, explained that treatment plants and sewer systems regularly encounter materials that should not be there, from clogged filters to blockages found during routine inspections in local networks.
He said that, among the most common offenders are wet wipes, which are frequently found in wastewater systems despite clearly not belonging there. Diederich added that even those labelled as biodegradable can cause serious problems, as they take time to break down and often clog pumps before doing so, requiring costly maintenance work.
Chemicals are another recurring issue. Danièle Mousel, environmental engineer and member of the Intercommunal Syndicate for the Sanitation of the Chiers Basin (SIACH), pointed out that many substances are not properly treated in wastewater facilities and can harm the microorganisms essential to the purification process.
Musel said that medicines are also frequently flushed away, despite not being effectively broken down in treatment plants. While some facilities have additional treatment stages, it is far easier and more effective to return unused medication to pharmacies or designated collection points, she explained.
Another example is washing cars outside homes. According to Diederich, the wastewater flows directly into rivers without passing through treatment systems in many cases, meaning detergents and cleaning products enter the natural environment untreated.
Even when the water does reach treatment plants, these substances can still disrupt the biological processes involved, he said.
With a growing population and an increasing number of disposable products, Luxembourg’s sewer systems have become more polluted in recent years. The campaign aims to raise awareness and encourage small behavioural changes that can help protect water quality and the environment.
More information is available at www.ofwaasser.lu.
