Hungary Chooses a Solution to Comply with European
Drinking Water Directive

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Central and Eastern Europe have undergone tremendous change politically, economically and socially. In countries such as Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria, such change has been accompanied by the challenges of creating an infrastructure to support economic expansion and improved living conditions.

In the past 16 years, Hungary has developed closer ties with Western Europe. The country joined NATO in 1999 and became a member of the European Union (EU) in 2004. As a result, the country must now comply with EU regulations, including the European Drinking Water Directive, which sets standards for the most common substances that can be found in drinking water. The Directive requires that 48 microbiological and chemical substances, or parameters, be monitored and tested regularly to ensure wholesome and clean water.

Among the challenges posed by the Directive is the problem of arsenic in the country’s groundwater. Most of Hungary is a fertile, rolling plain lying east of the Danube River and drained by the Danube and Tisza rivers. This geography is typified by the landscape in the Northern and Southern Great Plains, where major agricultural products include corn, wheat, barley, oats, potatoes, sugar beets – and paprika. Sheep, cattle and horses also are raised in this economically significant region. Water, therefore, plays an important role in Hungary’s economy and in the daily lives of Hungarians. Most of the water resources in Hungary come from groundwater that does not comply with the standard for arsenic required by the Directive. The problem is such that reducing drinking water arsenic content is likely to be the one of biggest challenges the country will face in meeting Directive requirements.

In searching for a solution to groundwater arsenic in the Great Plains, the Hungarian Ministry of Environment began discussion with Severn Trent Services through UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), a governmental agency that promotes business development in the United Kingdom. Severn Trent Services has been involved in the development of arsenic treatment solutions for more than ten years and has been providing its SORB 33® arsenic removal technology and Bayoxide® E33 arsenic removal media for more than five years in the United Kingdom and Europe. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has selected the SORB system for several national arsenic treatment demonstration projects.

The SORB 33 process and technology has been commercially proven to effectively and economically meet the standard of less than 10µg per litre set by the World Health Organization, the EPA and the Drinking Water Directive. Bayoxide is a dry, robust, ferric oxide media designed with a high capacity for arsenic, providing long operating cycles and low operating costs. The SORB process and the Bayoxide media have been used successfully at more than 150 sites throughout the world.

Based on its experience, Severn Trent Services conducted tours in May 2006 of arsenic removal sites in the United Kingdom for representatives of the Hungarian Environment Ministry. The group saw the SORB process in action, was impressed by its efficacy and was convinced that the process should be considered in Hungary. Working with Laszlo Toth and Jane Sanders of the British Embassy in Budapest, Severn Trent Services worked to gain approval from the Hungarian government.

In early October 2006, Toth submitted the technical file for the Bayoxide media, and less than 90 days later in January 2007, the approval was granted.