The decision-making process – step by step
The MAXIMA wastewater treatment system is a major infrastructure investment designed to meet the wastewater treatment needs of several municipalities for many years to come. The decision to build this regional solution is made both within VA SYD and by the municipal councils of each affected member municipality.
VA SYD is an association of municipalities that is the authority responsible for water supply and wastewater management and the owner of the public plants in the member municipalities of Burlöv, Eslöv, Lomma, Lund, Malmö and Svedala. This means that the municipalities have handed over responsibility for water, wastewater and wastewater treatment plants to us.
With this responsibility, we at VA SYD have the opportunity to use our combined expertise to not only think of solutions within each municipality, but also ensure creation of solutions that benefit the community, the region and the environment.
A regional wastewater treatment system for the municipalities of Burlöv, Lomma, Lund and Malmö is one such comprehensive solution. The system will also receive and treat wastewater from parts of the municipalities Svedala and Staffanstorp.
Local influence through owner committees
VA SYD’s highest political body is the association council. Responsible for day-to-day operations is the association board and the owner committees, one for each member municipality ensuring local influence in the association’s activities. The programme management team meets them regularly to answer questions and to report on the status of current activities. Read more about VA SYD’s political organisation here.
Regional cooperation groups
As the new wastewater treatment system affects the whole region, cooperation across municipal boundaries is required. Various working groups have been formed in which VA SYD and civil servants from all member municipalities, meet regularly aiming at preparation and coordination around the implementation of MAXIMA.
Ongoing decision phase
The next big step in the process is to obtain a permit under the Environmental Code (1998:808) and the Continental Shelf Act (1966:314). The application was submitted in May 2025 and the process is expected to take approximately two years.
Previous major decisions
2024
On 18 June, VA SYD's association council made an owner decision to invest, with a framework budget for the MAXIMA wastewater treatment system.
During the month of May, the respective municipal councils in Burlöv, Lomma, Lund and Malmö approved the investment agreement for MAXIMA.
VA SYD’s association council made a policy decision on the 26th of January that MAXIMA should plan for a wastewater tunnel to connect the municipalities north of the Sjölunda wastewater treatment plant. Furthermore, their policy decision included that the capacity of the new Sjölunda wastewater treatment is 820 000 population equivalents with a maximum flow of 10 m³/s.
2023
On 25 October, Lund's municipal council decided that the wastewater, which today is treatet at the Källby wastewater treatment plant, instead should be a part of MAXIMA and hence treated at the new Sjölunda wastewater treatment plant.
2022
In autumn 2022, the municipal executive committees in Burlöv, Lomma, Malmö and Svedala decided that VA SYD would prepare documentation and apply for a permit under the Environmental Code (1998:808) and the Continental Shelf Act (1966:314).
On 31 March, Lund Municipal Council decided to abandon plans for a shared wastewater treatment system, and instead commission VA SYD to expand and modernise Källby wastewater treatment plant in Lund. The decision meant that there would be no wastewater tunnel from Lund to the Sjölunda wastewater treatment plant in Malmö. This allowed VA SYD to plan and calculate a new scope for the MAXIMA wastewater treatment system.
2021
During the winter and spring, the municipalities of Burlöv, Lomma, Lund, Malmö and Svedala made a policy decision to continue participating in the planning of a regional wastewater treatment system. The municipalities also provided population forecasts up to 2045 to ensure that the new wastewater treatment system was properly dimensioned.
2019
The City of Malmö made a policy decision to build a wastewater tunnel beneath Malmö to the Sjölunda wastewater treatment plant.
2017
A programme organisation is established. Local studies are brought together into a regional strategy for wastewater treatment, which today has become the wastewater system MAXIMA.
2016
Lund Municipality made a policy decision to allow VA SYD to study a solution for the transfer of wastewater from Lund to Malmö and a new wastewater treatment plant at Sjölunda (which then meant the closure of Källby wastewater treatment plant).
