JP Water Pollution Control Act — 2025 Revision of Effluent Standards and Provisional Standards
ENFORCEMENT TIMELINE
Full enforcement on April 1, 2025 (Provisional standard review in June–July 2025)
Overview
The revision of effluent standards and provisional effluent standards under the Water Pollution Control Act is a periodic process of updating the permissible limits for specific substances contained in factory wastewater, such as zinc, cadmium, boron, and fluorine, based on the latest environmental risk assessments.
Provisional effluent standards, which are set for specific industries that find it technically difficult to immediately meet the general standards, are reassessed each time their application period, typically two to three years, comes to an end.
Enforcement Timeline
2022 to 2024: The application periods for provisional effluent standards for various substances are reviewed.
2025: Provisional effluent standards for certain industries reach the end of their application period, leading to either a transition to general standards or a revision of the provisional standards, scheduled to take effect on April 1, 2025.
Business Impact
Businesses in industries subject to provisional effluent standards, such as electroplating, non-ferrous metal manufacturing, and hot spring wastewater discharge, need to reinforce their treatment facilities or reconsider the chemicals used in treatment in line with the revised standards and the schedule for transitioning to general standards.