The Waste Water Ordinance (Abwasserverordnung - AbwV) issued on the basis of Article 7 a of the Federal Water Act (Wasserhaushaltsgesetz - WHG) and Article 3 of the Waste Water Charges Act (Abwasserabgabengesetz - AbwAG) requires waste water and waste water discharges to be tested for the noxious effect of waste water ingredients, using biological test methods. The biotests prescribed by the Waste Water Ordinance are the fish, daphniae, luminescent-bacteria and algae tests as well as a test  for genotoxic effects (umu test). This means that comprehensive data material is available. What is lacking, however, are cross-sectoral compilations of data from different waste water-generating sectors for the documentation of the present situation,  assessments of the comparative biotest data on hand, concepts for future focal points of investigation (sectors generating waste water) as well as proposals for the systematic and incontestable replacement of the fish test required by current administrative  regulations. To address these issues, work to compile biotest data was initiated by the  Federal Environmental Agency in 1997.