Sewage sludge production and handling in croatia and the european union

Croatia, as a candidate country for membership in the EU, is faced with a wide range of European legislation which defines appropriate environmental protection standards and sets the basis for sustainable development. In wastewater management, the handling of sewage sludge is one of the most significant challenges since sewage sludge production is continuing to increase as new treatment plants are built in order to meet the EU requirements. Currently in Croatia, there are 22 plants for first and second degree of biological treatment of municipal waters, but there is no systematic register on quantities, quality as well as the method of sludge disposal. This paper presents the current situation in Croatian and European legislation while also analyzing the implementation of legislation regarding sewage sludge and providing an assessment of the current sewage sludge handling options in relation to environmental and economic responsibility.