Water is one of our most important natural resources and access to clean water is a matter forboth current and future generations. During the past decades, overexploitation, pollution, andclimate change has led to serious consequences in the water section around the world. Not onlywater but also sanitation are cornerstones of sustainable development. Ensuring accessibilityand sustainable management of those two for mankind is also one of the UN:s global sustainability goals (goal number six). The EU Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC (WFD) is oneof the legal tools mainly used to ensure the conservation of water resources. In Sweden, wehave sixteen (16) national environmental goals, several of which concern small sewers. Swedenhas since the year 2000 adopted the WFD. The directive aims to take joint responsibility withinthe Union for the long-term and sustainable use of water resources. In Sweden is the overallgoal for water management to achieve good water status by the year 2027. Good status meansboth good ecological and good chemical status. Good status is to be achieved for both inlandand coastal waters. How WFD has been implemented in the various parts that together worksto achieve the goal of good water quality in the EU and Sweden is shown, (among other things),by the environmental quality standards. The environmental quality standards have been developed for example water. The environmental quality standards for water (example lakes) andgroundwater where the purpose to ensure Sweden´s water quality. The environmental qualitystandards govern environmental work in, for example, supervision of so-called water activitiesand environmental hazardous activities. It is up to the municipalities to ensure that the standardsare followed. It is also the municipalities that primarily have the operational supervision regarding compliance with the provisions of the Environmental Code.

I det här examensarbetet undersöker vi kommunikationsförhållandet mellan ett utvalt mikroföretag och den kommunala miljömyndigheten med avseende på miljöbalkens bestämmelser. För att tillgodogöra oss empirisk kunskap över detta problemområde har vi inom ramen för en fallstudie genomfört kvalitativa intervjuer med nyckelpersoner hos områdets signifikativa aktörer. Syftet med en sådan undersökning följer av att försöka problematisera förhållandet mellan miljömyndighetens kommunikation av miljölagstiftning och företagets drivkrafter för att bedriva ett systematiskt miljöarbete. Resultaten av undersökningen visar att det studerade företaget upplever vissa svårigheter med att förverkliga miljökrav som den kommunala miljömyndigheten kommunicerar. Härmed kvarlämnas således företaget i ett vidare behov av stöd och rådgivning för att effektivt kunna uppfylla ställda miljökrav. Våra resultat framhåller även goda exempel på kommunikationsformer som upplevts positiva och ändamålsenliga för båda aktörer. Samtidigt kan vi förvissa oss om att den kommunala miljömyndigheten inte besitter de resurser som krävs för att deras åliggande enligt miljöbalken fullt ut ska kunna tillgodoses. / This paper studies the communication between a micro-enterprises and the municipal environmental authority with reference to the Swedish Environmental Code. In order to achieve empirical knowledge according to our problem in question, a case study with qualitative interviews have been carried out with significant actors. The purpose of this study is to problemize the relation between the municipal environmental authority’s communications about the Swedish Environmental Code and the micro-enterprise and the driving force for systematic environmental work in the enterprise. The results of this study show that the micro-enterprise experiences difficulty fulfilling demands that the municipal environmental authority communicates. This means that a micro-enterprise is left with a further need for additional support and advice to be able to fulfil the wishes and intensions of the local environmental authority. Our results also show good examples in forms of communication that both participants experience as suitable. At the same time our study suggests that the municipal environmental authority’s lack sufficient resources to achieve their advisory duties according to the Swedish Environmental Code.