Recipientvatten

Recipientvatten, translating roughly as receiving water, is a term used in Swedish environmental management to refer to a body of water that receives discharges from wastewater treatment plants, industry, or urban runoff. The concept is central to regulating and assessing the impact of effluents on the water body, since the chemical and ecological status of the recipient is influenced by inputs, hydrology, and dilution.

In regulatory practice, recipientvatten are evaluated under national and EU frameworks, notably the Water Framework Directive, and Swedish legislation such as the Environmental Code. Discharges to a recipientvatten are permitted with conditions that aim to protect or restore good ecological and chemical status. Permits require monitoring data and, if necessary, measures to reduce pollutant loads or to treat effluent more rigorously.

Monitoring typically covers nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus), organic pollutants, metals, and priority substances, as well as ecological indicators like species composition, oxygen levels, and habitat quality. Management responses may include upgrading treatment processes, implementing source-control measures, or adjusting discharge timing and dilution estimates to minimize impacts on sensitive habitats, including Natura 2000 areas.

See also: receiving water, water body, dilution, effluent, environmental impact assessment.