15.4.1
Water Discharge Guidelines and Standards
1. Purpose
This policy defines the University of Thessaly’s framework for establishing, maintaining, and enforcing water quality standards and discharge guidelines across all campuses and facilities. Its purpose is to protect aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, safeguard human health, and ensure compliance with national and EU environmental legislation. The policy also promotes responsible wastewater management practices consistent with the University’s sustainability goals.
2. Scope
This policy applies to:
– All University buildings, laboratories, research stations, dormitories, cafeterias, farms, and maintenance facilities that generate wastewater.
– Any discharges to municipal systems, surface water, or groundwater.
– Projects involving water use, treatment, or disposal.
– Contractors, researchers, and operational units engaged in activities that produce liquid effluents.
It encompasses both point-source and non-point-source discharges within University jurisdiction.
3. Definitions
– Water discharge: Any release of water, wastewater, or effluent from University operations into the environment or sewer systems.
– Effluent quality standards: Regulatory limits on the concentration of pollutants in discharged water.
– Non-point source pollution: Diffuse pollution from surface runoff, irrigation, or land use activities.
– Wastewater treatment: Physical, chemical, or biological processes used to remove contaminants before discharge.
– Receiving environment: Natural water bodies (rivers, lakes, groundwater) that receive discharges.
4. Policy Statement
The University of Thessaly commits to upholding the highest environmental standards in water discharge management by:
1. Establishing institutional Water Quality Standards aligned with Greek and EU regulations.
2. Implementing monitoring programmes for effluent quality and discharge volumes.
3. Ensuring that all discharges meet required chemical, physical, and biological thresholds.
4. Preventing contamination of soil, groundwater, and surface water.
5. Promoting water reuse and recycling within University operations.
6. Training staff and students in responsible water use and wastewater management.
7. Requiring environmental impact assessments for all new projects involving water discharge.
8. Publishing annual water quality reports and corrective action plans when non-compliance occurs.
5. Implementation Responsibilities
The Directorate of Technical Services, in cooperation with the Departments of a) Spatial Planning, Urban Planning and Regional Development Engineering, b) Forestry, Wood Sciences and Design, c) Computer Science and Biomedical Informatics , d) Environment, e) Biochemistry and Biotechnology, f) Medicine, g) Veterinary Medicine and h) School of Agricultural Sciences and Sustainability Committee, shall implement this policy. Responsibilities include:
– Developing Water Quality and Discharge Standards based on EU Directive 2000/60/EC and national legislation.
– Conducting regular sampling and laboratory testing of discharges.
– Maintaining records of effluent characteristics and compliance.
– Installing and maintaining water treatment systems where necessary.
– Reporting exceedances and corrective actions to the Senate and relevant authorities.
– Ensuring contractors adhere to the University’s discharge standards.
– Coordinating staff training and awareness programmes.
Each campus shall designate a Water Quality Officer responsible for local oversight and reporting.
6. Monitoring and Reporting
The University shall implement a comprehensive monitoring system, where plausible, that includes:
– Periodic sampling of wastewater and surface runoff.
– Analysis of parameters such as pH, BOD, COD, suspended solids, nutrients, and heavy metals.
– Documentation of water reuse, recycling, and treatment efficiency.
– Annual Water Quality Report summarizing performance, incidents, and improvement measures.
Results will be reviewed by the Sustainability Committee and included in the University Sustainability Report and THE Impact Rankings SDG 6 submissions.
7. Review and Amendment
This policy shall be reviewed every three (3) years or earlier if regulatory frameworks, environmental conditions, or operational processes change. Revisions will be proposed by the Sustainability Committee and approved by the governing Council.
8. References and Compliance Frameworks
– Hellenic Authority for Higher Education (HAHE) – ESG Environmental Standards
– UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 6, SDG 14, SDG 15)
– EU Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC
– EU Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive 91/271/EEC
– Greek Law 3199/2003 and Joint Ministerial Decisions 145116/2011 & 5673/400/1997
– ISO 14001: Environmental Management Systems