Sweden

Sweden has about 2.000 public, often municipal, wastewater treatment plants. In total, they treat 1.5 km3 water every year. That is about twice as much as the drinking water reaching the consumers. The rest of the water is from drainage, surface water, and leakage. All Swedish citizens living in urban areas, about 7.7 million people, are connected to one of these wastewater treatment plants. The rest of the population, 1.3 million, has private treatment.  36% of the population, with public treatment, have the highest level with biological, chemical, and nitrogen treatment. The majority, 58 % have chemical and biological treatment and the remaining 6% have biological or chemical treatment. Today the pollution of Swedish water areas from wastewater is on the same level as 100 years ago, and the rules for discharge of wastewater are the strictest in the world.

Average precipitation 

624 mm/yr 

Total internal renewable water resources

 171 km3/yr

Total water withdrawal 

2.7 km3/yr

Water treatment processing capacity 

1.5 km3/yr