An urban wastewater treatment plant, sometimes abbreviated as UWWTP, treats wastewater and is usually operated by public authorities or by private enterprises working by order of public authorities.
According to international water statistics, wastewater includes the fraction delivered to treatment plants by trucks. The concept applied in the European Union (EU) urban wastewater treatment Directive(91/271/EC), however, considers only the system of conduits (sewage pipes) for connection to the treatment plant.