28/02/11
Water UK welcomes a report from the Soil Association which emphasises the importance of sewage sludge as a source of phosphorus, essential for crop growth.
The report Peak phosphorus and the threat to our food security calls for a change to EU organic regulations to allow the use of sewage sludge on agricultural land; this would ensure that phosphate levels are maintained.
Phosphorous is a non-renewable element and supplies are becoming increasingly scarce.
As a result of improved trade effluent control and changes in industrial processes, the levels of heavy metal once present in treated human sewage sludge have been reduced in recent years and are now low enough for the organic movement to re-consider allowing these biosolids to be used, where they meet strict standards.
