Environmental Quality Limits require water companies to think beyond the traditional sanitary determinants of COD, BOD, ammonia and suspended solids.  The so called153 listed 'alphabet soup' chemicals need to be understood far better and so the spotlight has moved towards inputs, a natural progression to predict outputs. This is a significant shift and driven by the Industrial Emissions Directive, it is not something that can be ignored. There are many challenges, not least the cost and difficulties analysing to the ppb level and the wider implications of where else would these effluents go? Would they arrive illegally in any case and who pays for treatment? 

Trade effluent and commerical tankered waste imports are at a 'crossroads'.

Chair:  Matthew Smyth, Director, Aqua Environmental Ltd

Panel: 

• Clive Humphreys, Senior Advisor, Environment Agency 
• Arthur Thornton, Associate Director, AtkinsRealis
• Others to be confirmed ...