The MAXIMA wastewater treatment system is VA SYD’s investment in a new regional infrastructure for sustainable wastewater treatment in the member municipalities of Burlöv, Lomma, Lund and Malmö. This is one of the biggest infrastructure investments in the region in the near future and essential for the region to be able to continue to grow. With a shared solution, VA SYD meets the need for expansion and modernisation of the wastewater treatment system in the municipalities, protects local aquatic environments and allows cities to grow. 

MAXIMA currently includes a robust new Sjölunda wastewater treatment plant on the outskirts of Malmö next to the Öresund, new outlet pipes into the Öresund, a new large pumping station by the Sjölunda wastewater treatment plant, a wastewater tunnel beneath the centre of Malmö, and a wastewater tunnel to connect the municipalities of Burlöv, Lomma and Lund as well as Hjärup in the municipality of Staffanstorp to Sjölunda wastewater treatment plant. Existing transfer pipes will connect the wastewater from Bara and Klågerup, in the municipality of Svedala, to the wastewater tunnel beneath Malmö. 

Building the MAXIMA wastewater treatment system is estimated to cost around SEK 17,5 billion, by 2035. The cost will be shared fairly and sustainably between the municipalities that benefit from the system. 

It is more cost-effective to expand one site instead of several local plants. The Sjölunda wastewater treatment plant is a more suitable location in terms of both impact on the aquatic environment and urban development. 

When expanding the Sjölunda wastewater treatment plant in Malmö, we are building and modernising for the whole region. This means that several local treatment plants are no longer needed, so the sites can be decomissioned and the areas used for other purposes. For each municipality, this will more cost-effective than needing to expand and modernise their local wastewater treatment plant.

There is no contradiction between planning to develop a main regional wastewater treatment system and exploring new wastewater technologies. However, it is important to realise that the water supply and wastewater infrastructure we have today, and on which we are completely dependent, has been built up over more than a century. It needs to be managed, renewed and adapted to new requirements.

Converting it to something else, such as property-based solutions, would take a very long time with unpredictable costs, as the technical solutions do not exist on a large scale today. Regardless of how things develop, we need a sustainable, robust water supply and wastewater system standing the test of time. 

In the spring of 2024, an investment agreement for MAXIMA was approved by the concerned municipalities of Burlöv, Lomma, Lund and Malmö, which made it possible for VA SYD's association council to take an implementation decision in June 2024.

You can read more about the decision-making process here.

If invited municipalities reject a regional solution, they will need to expand and modernise their local wastewater treatment plants, in order to cope with population growth and stricter environmental legislation.

The idea that regional expansion is better than several local expansions is supported by our collective expertise at VA SYD, studies, and reports and external analyses from the Swedish trade association Svenskt Vatten. You can access this material under Information material and Reports and studies.  

Svenskt Vatten points out that a large organisation and cooperation is a prerequisite for meeting the requirements for costs, staff, expertise and advanced treatment technology. You can read more about this in Svenskt Vatten’s 2023 investment report.

Investing in wastewater collection and treatment is necessary to allow cities to grow. Our current water supply and wastewater system is old and cannot cope with the challenges of population growth, new environmental legislation and climate change. With MAXIMA, we modernise the wastewater treatment system to meet these needs.  

In the operational phase, the new wastewater treatment system will mainly affect our aquatic environments in two ways.

The new treatment technology at the Sjölunda wastewater treatment plant and new outlet pipes further out into the Öresund, will enable great improvement of our aquatic environments. Today, the existing outlet pipe discharges near the coast into more stagnant water in Lommabukten, so the impact will be greatly reduced. In addition, when local plants can be closed, the discharges into rivers (Höje å, Lödde å and Sege å) flowing into Lommabukten, will be reduced. 

The second environmental impact is related to overflow discharges, occuring when the volume of water exceeds the capacity of the system, causing untreated wastewater to be released into the nearest watercourse for safety reasons. Overflow discharges into Malmö’s canals currently occur around once a week. With MAXIMA the overflow discharges will be minimised through the entire system, and never from the Sjölunda wastewater treatment plant itself. The MAXIMA system will be able to handle an exceptional rainfall event.

By pooling financial resources and expertise, VA SYD can invest in a safe and robust plant. It will have extensive back-up systems and solutions for protection against disruption, for redundancy and for safety. The new wastewater treatment plant is also planned and built to be protected from expected sea level rise (up to 2100).

We study and develop plans for this on an ongoing basis. Our ambition is to minimise the environmental impact during the construction phase. 

Studies show that the environmental impact during the construction phase is limited and lasts for a limited time. The construction methods we plan to use are well proven (tunnelling and retaining walls), having limited environmental impact in terms of noise, vibration and groundwater. To further reduce the environmental impact, VA SYD is planning various protective measures such as noise barriers and treatment of water before it is released into ditches or watercourses.

Prior to the construction of new outlet pipes in the Öresund, we study and analyse how we can minimise the impact on sensitive areas like Natura 2000 sites and nature reserves. The impact is expected to be relatively short-term and the recovery time for eelgrass and fish is considered to be manageable.

The true costs involved are emerging over time as we learn more about factors such as the construction conditions. By continuously analysing benefits, impacts and costs, we ensure that the programme is economically viable . We optimise the cost situation by sharing the investment between several parties.

These major investments are necessary for our community to enble meeting stricter environemntal requiremenst, and be able grow and function without any negative impact on people's health and environment.

A cost sharing plan has been decided in an investment agreement between the respective municipal councils of Burlöv, Lomma, Lund and Malmö.

Regardless of the investment in MAXIMA, charges for water supply and wastewater (your water bill) will need to be gradually increased, and possibly doubled within 20 years, according to the trade association Svenskt Vatten. This is because water and wastewater management currently suffers from maintenance neglect and a lack of investment in Skåne and throughout Sweden.

The principle for the entire management of wastewater, drinking water and waste is that it is payed by the customers through a fixed fee (the VA tariff). The cost-effectiveness principle prevails, and this is therefore not a profitable operation.

We plan to have a new regional plant up and running by 2035. The timetable is dependent on ongoing technical studies and environmental permits not being delayed.

We plan for the entire plant to be able to manage a projected flow up to 2045 from the start. This is as far as we can get relatively accurate projections of population growth in the region. We plan to build the new wastewater treatment plant in such a way that we will able to upgrade and change it in line with new needs and new technologies.

Sjölunda wastewater treatment plant currently receives wastewater from 300,000 people in the region. By 2045, Sjölunda is expected to be able to treat wastewater from 700,000 people. 

It takes up to eight years to build a new regional wastewater treatment system. During that time, growth, technological development and digitisation continue. In the planning of the new Sjölunda wastewater treatment plant, we take this into account. From the outset, we are planning for the plant to meet stricter new environmental requirements and the needs of the municipalities of Burlöv, Lomma, Lund and Malmö up to 2045. The design and layout will be adapted so that it can be continuously upgraded to meet new requirements and incorporate new technologies, even after 2045. 

VA SYD has studied possible locations for the new wastewater treatment plant, and concluded that the best choice is where the Sjölunda wastewater treatment plant is located today, in Norra hamnen in Malmö. This is also supported by dialogue with the City of Malmö when looking at alternative sites. The City of Malmö is not planning any housing in this area, and several industrial facilities are close enough for the successful development of circularity partnerships. The Öresund is also such a large recipient of wastewater that the environment will not be harmed when investing in better treatment technology and expanding the plant. You can read more about this in the Location Study on the page Studies and reports.

Our feasibility study, project objectives and specific conditions have led us to choose to proceed with membrane bioreactor (MBR). 

MBR is a biological process for treating wastewater in which the treated water is separated from the sludge by membranes. These membranes have extremely small pores allowing only the treated water to pass through but not the sludge. An MBR produces extremely clean water thanks to the membranes, and needs a limited physical area at the wastewater treatment plant, making it a space-efficient process.

In the feasibility study for an expanded, converted Sjölunda wastewater treatment plant, we initially considered all possible technologies for a new wastewater treatment plant. There are quite similar processes to choose from, so we needed to perform an in-depth evaluation. The guiding factor was how best to achieve our project objectives for the new wastewater treatment plant, linked to operational reliability, flexibility, climate and energy efficiency, resource efficiency and health and safety. In addition to the project objectives, we need to take into account the entire construction process and the fact that we will be building a new plant while having an existing plant running on the same site. Overall, MBR has shown to be the most favourable option.

Wastewater is treated biologically in the same way with microorganisms in both an activated sludge process, as used today, and an MBR process. The difference between the processes is the technology used at the end to separate the sludge (pollutants) from the treated water. In the current process, the sludge is separated by gravity, while an MBR uses membranes with extremely small pores that stop the sludge and allow the treated water to pass through. An MBR requires less space than the current activated sludge process, but requires more energy. 

With more efficient treatment technology and new outlet pipes from the Sjölunda wastewater treatment plant into the Öresund, the purified water will contain significantly less pollution and will be led further out into a more flowing water. In this way, smaller inland waterways, Lommabukten's bathing waters and sensitive Natura 2000 areas are protected to a significantly greater degree. A reduced eutrophication in Lommabukten particularly favours the presence of eelgrass, which is a species with important ecological functions.

The new outlet pipes from the Sjölunda wastewater treatment plant will be around 4 kilometres long, compared to today's 2 kilometres, and will be laid on the seabed. Closest to land, they are laid in a dredged channel and further out they are attached with stakes to not be affected by current forces. Since the pipes will not go up above the seabed until about 2 kilometres from land, customary use of the area for recreational boats and alike is not restricted. There will, however, be a ban on anchoring within the facility's boundaries, which are marked on charts.
 

A tunnel is built with a large tunnel boring machine that is propelled forwards at a depth of 20-25 metres. The tunnelling is hardly noticeable above ground. The impact on the environment occurs mainly at the tunnel shafts where we lower the machine and remove soil. The wastewater tunnel will have a diameter of about 5 metres. The tunnel dimensions will allow coping with climate change and growing cities for many decades. The incline of the tunnel will allow the water to travel by gravity.

A pipe is being dug to a depth of 3-5 metres and requires a larger working area along the entire route. A pipe also means that we need to build pumping stations along the route to transport the water forwards. 

The wastewater tunnels are planned to be completed at the same time as the other components of the MAXIMA wastewater treatment system. The entire MAXIMA system will be operational by 2035, according to current time plan. 

The MAXIMA wastewater tunnels are designed for self-cleaning, and not need overhaul and repairs that mean you need to go down into the tunnel. The wastewater flows well with the help of self-fall, and if something still gets stuck along the way, the next big rain will solve the problem. The construction of the whole wastewater treatment system also means that flooding will not occur in the tunnels. However, there will be descent capabilities, for handling extreme situations.

Through natural processes in wastewater, substances are broken down, and new ones are formed. Some substances are in gaseous form and can be harmful to health, for example hydrogen sulphide. Therefore, the wastewater tunnels have ventilation systems ensuring that gases like that are vented out in a safe manner.

Malmö’s current system that pumps wastewater from the centre of Malmö to the Sjölunda wastewater treatment plant is old, with parts dating back to the early 20th century. Malmö needs a new system to cope with rapid population growth and new environmental requirements. A tunnel will allow Malmö to grow and develop sustainably as a city.

In November 2019, Malmö City Council made a policy decision to build the tunnel.

A tunnel will have several positive community effects:

• A robust wastewater system that will last for 100 years and cope with population growth
• Much less traffic disruption during construction and future maintenance
• Less pressure on aquatic environments
• Better conditions for urban development as the tunnel will be built at a significant depth
• Reduced risk of basement flooding near Malmö’s canals
• Lower costs for a new Sjölunda wastewater treatment plant
• The tunnel entails a storage function that will relieve pressure on the treatment plant

The pollutant load on Malmö’s canals will be significantly reduced. The tunnel will reduce the discharge of untreated wastewater (overflow discharge), occuring during heavy rainfall. A tunnel will also reduce discharges into Industrihamnen and Sege å.

The preliminary route of the main tunnel is from Turbinen (by the Technical Museum) in Malmö via Norra hamnen to Sjölunda wastewater treatment plant. The two connecting microtunnels are planned to run from Värnhemstorget to Skruvgatan and from Spillepeng pumping station to Sjölunda pumping station.  

No, a wastewater tunnel benefits urban development. It will be built deep below other pipes, and allow a larger volume of wastewater to be transported from more homes and businesses.

The wastewater tunnel will minimise the risk of basement flooding in these areas: Ribersborg, Kronprinsen, Fågelbacken, Gamla Staden, Rörsjöstaden, Slussen, Östervärn and Segevång. To reduce the negative effects of heavy rain and rising water levels throughout Malmö, VA SYD and the City of Malmö are working on a joint action plan - Joint action to make room for water.

Studies show that a tunnel connection from the north for the transfer of wastewater best fulfills the benefits to be delivered:

• Securing growth and meeting a growing population 
• Protecting our aquatic environments
• Recycling energy and nutrients for benefiting the society 
• Strengthening VA SYD and its members to cope with necessary future investments 
• Creating a robust and reliable wastewater treatment system.

Tunnels for wastewater are becoming increasingly common in densely populated communities and regions with strong population growth. In the Nordic countries, existing and planned wastewater tunnels exist in cities like Copenhagen, Stockholm, Gothenburg, Oslo, and Helsinki. 

Currently, the tunnel is planned to pass under the Hjärup urban area, where the existing pumping station will be decommissioned. The urban areas of Arlöv, Lomma, and Åkarp are connected via the existing system, ABMA (Aktiebolaget Malmöregionens avlopp). A new pipeline system connects the urban area of Bjärred. All will become part of the regional wastewater treatment system MAXIMA. 

The wastewater tunnel will be a sealed concrete tunnel with an internal diameter of 3 metres and will be about 10 kilometres long. The tunnel will be located at a depth of 20-35 metres.

The tunnel connection is expected to require a land claim of approximately 3,000 square metres during operation and approximately 40,000 square metres during construction. Access roads and material storage areas will be added during both the operational and construction phases. Temporary groundwater lowering will be required during excavation.

There will be exhaust- and particle emissions, and construction activities will also create noise and vibrations. However, planned protective measures will ensure that noise limits are met, and analyses of expected vibrations and settlement from tunneling indicate negligible impact.

The explored alternative to a tunnel is a conventional pressurised pipes system. However, a tunnel is both more cost-effective and has less impact on the surrounding environment. Read more about the different alternatives here (the PM is in Swedish). 

Before VA SYD starts building the wastewater tunnels and new pipes to connect the municipalities, we will sign land grant agreements with the property owners of developed and undeveloped properties along the route in question. This agreement regulates, among other things, where the tunnels and pipes will be located and what compensation landowners will receive. 

VA SYD will contact each individual land/property owner by letter or in person to present the land grant agreement. We will also provide information about the principles applicable when we value and compensate property owners for encroachment and the impact of construction of the tunnels/pipes. We always endeavour to reach an agreement with property owners. By signing a land grant agreement, property owners authorise the construction of the tunnel/pipe along a specific route on their property. The land grant agreement gives VA SYD the right to build and manage the new infrastructure. The agreement governs the conditions that will apply when we, as the tunnel/pipe owner, make use of the land, and the compensation principles that will apply to encroachment and settlement of any damage. Based on the land grant agreements, VA SYD will commission Lantmäteriet to decide on utility easements. A utility easement means that the terms of the agreements are converted into a legal right that is clearly documented in the land register and the register map belonging to the land register. 
 

If you choose not to enter into an agreement with VA SYD, the matter will be referred to Lantmäteriet to assess whether it is possible under current legislation to make a decision on a utility easement. You can also choose to sign the agreement without accepting the compensation we offer. In that case, we agree on all other terms of the agreement and it is only the matter of compensation that is submitted to Lantmäteriet.

VA SYD offers affected property owners a one-off payment of compensation. This is based on an assessment of the value of the encroachment on the property. The principles of the compensation are regulated in the Expropriation Act, which states that the property owner must receive compensation based on an assessed reduction in market value plus a 25 per cent surcharge. We also compensate any damage to buildings and other property that may occur during the construction of the tunnel.

A technical study will be carried out to establish which properties may be affected by noise and vibration during the construction of the wastewater tunnels. Impact may be caused by the construction of the tunnel itself and also by, for example, heavy transport. The properties at risk of impact will be inspected and documented prior to the start of construction.

The construction methods we plan to use are well proven and have a limited impact in terms of noise, vibration and groundwater. The tunnels are being built at a depth of 20-35 metres and the tunnel boring machine advances rapidly. This means that a property may feel vibrations from the boring machine for a maximum of one week. Shafts used in part for transporting excavated material will be active for around 18 months.

All buildings and facilities that may be affected by the wastewater tunnel construction project are inspected by an independent company both before and after the work. VA SYD will inspect all buildings deemed to be at risk of damage. We will contact you well before we start our work so that you are prepared and can think about any questions you may have.

If you discover damage to your property after we have completed construction in your area, you can apply for compensation. An independent inspection company then carries out a damage study, to assess the causal link between the damage and the work carried out. You will be fully compensated for any damage deemed to have been caused by the tunnelling.

To build and operate the MAXIMA wastewater treatment system, VA SYD must obtain an environmental permit under Chapters 9 and 11 of the Environmental Code. This legislation regulates activities with an impact on health and the environment.

The permit application is submitted to the Land and Environment Court at Växjö District Court, which handles cases concerning environmental and water issues in the region. They assess whether the construction and operation of the new wastewater treatment system is compatible with environmental protection laws.

The proceedings at the Land and Environment Court may take around two years. When the court receives the application, it first assesses whether the application needs any additional information. Once the application is complete, the court publishes a notice (advertisement) in the local press. This starts a consultation period in which parties concerned, the general public, municipalities, the county administrative board and other public authorities are given access to the plans for MAXIMA, and get the opportunity to comment on the case. VA SYD must respond to the comments received. Once the consultation period is over, the court holds a main hearing that is open to everyone. The hearing is likely to be held in Malmö.

The application for a permit results in a judgment stating whether the activity may be carried out or not and the conditions that apply to the permit. The judgment may be appealed against to the Land and Environment Court of Appeal by you or others who are affected. The deadline for appeals is stated in the judgment.
 

Yes, you can. The court will publish a notice (advertisement) in the local press when the application is complete. This starts a consultation period during which you can comment on the planned wastewater treatment system. You are also welcome to attend the main hearing, which is likely to be held in Malmö.

Once the application has been submitted to the Land and Environment Court, which is planned to happen in late May 2025, all the application documents will be available on our website. Find the application documents (in Swedish) here.

The consultation process is an important part of the permit application. Consultation gives parties concerned the opportunity to influence the process by submitting their views.

VA SYD and the county administrative board have jointly evaluated that the activity is considered to have a significant environmental impact, which means that a more detailed environmental impact assessment (EIA) is required, and the consultation is extended to include more stakeholders. After the consultations, a consultation report is compiled that contains responses to the comments and views received, and an account of the consultation meetings held with the stakeholders concerned. VA SYD has carried out several consultations and additional consultations within the framework of MAXIMA. Read more about the consultations here.

A first permit application was worked on during 2021/2022 but was never submitted because Lund's city council decided to instead rebuild Källby ARV and not connect to Sjölunda ARV. A review without Lund was worked out and submitted to the Land and Environment Court in May 2023.
In October 2023, Lund's municipal council made a new decision to become part of MAXIMA, and in March 2024 all member municipalities signed an investment agreement. This means that the scope of the system no longer matches the submitted permit application, which is why this was withdrawn on 16 August 2024. A new application is being developed (including a new consultation), and is planned to be submitted to the Land and Environment Court at the end of May 2025.

The decision to withdraw the application in ongoing court proceedings, instead of supplementing with separate applications for the changes that Lund's participation entails, was taken based on a risk analysis where various alternatives were evaluated. The conclusion is that since VA SYD see MAXIMA as a coherent system, we wish the Land and Environmental Court to evaluate MAXIMA as a whole.
Due to the large scope of the system and thus possible environmental impact, we also assume that the Land and Environmental Court will require a combined application that includes the entire system. All in all, we conclude that a new application is the best way to obtain an environmental permit for the entire MAXIMA as quickly and safely as possible, and thus be able to proceed to the start of construction.