•The Environmental Management Act (EMA) No. 12 of 2011 is the principal Act that provide for water pollution control in Zambia.

•Under the EMA water pollution is defined as the introduction, directly or indirectly, of pollutants into an aquatic environment.

• Aquatic environment mean all surface and groundwaters and specifically excludes wastewater in installations and facilities for industrial effluent such as septic tanks, sewerage collection networks and treatment facilities.

•However, wastewater that is discharged from these facilities into the aquatic environment is regulated under the Act.

•Industries who discharges effluent into the aquatic environment are required to obtain an environmental permit which regulates the quality of effluent using specific parameters.

•Industries that discharges into the sewer systems are exempted from this requirement and their discharges is regarded as municipal wastewater which is treated at WWTPs.

•The WWTPs bares the cost for the pollution under the ‘polluter pay principle’ and if the precautionary principle is applied, what measures are in place to ensure the pollution load entering the sewer system is minimal and cannot affect the operating conditions of the WWTPs.