Simrishamn has Sweden’s most modern water treatment

Simrishamn is located by the coast line south east of Sweden. This small town with a population of 20,000 has a big idea for the future, on how to decrease their environmental impact of their waste water.

Stengården in Simrishamn is a unique water treatment facility and the first of its kind in all of Europe. With their modern water treatment plant, Simrishamn is leading the way with the vision to reach zero emissions of medical residues to the sea, in collaboration with recognized Universities and the Swedish government agency that administers state funding for research and development.

Residues from medicine which humans consume will end up in our sewer systems. Today most waste water treatment plants in the world are unable to remove the often hard-to-break down substances, instead it is washed out straight into nature where fish and other animals are exposed to the residues. Studies have shown that fish are becoming presumptuous by anti-anxiety medications, and hormonal drugs can affect their fertility. There is also a concern about the leakage of antibiotics, which in the long run may lead to bacteria becoming resistant.