Water Reuse

Overview

Wastewater is an effective alternative water supply. With several EU countries increasingly suffering from droughts, reusing water from urban waste water treatment plants can help address water scarcity. It can ensure a safe and predictable source of water, whilst lowering the pressure on water bodies and enhancing the EU’s ability to adapt to climate change. Reusing water after appropriate treatment extends its life cycle, thereby preserving water resources.

Water reuse is commonly and successfully practised in several EU countries. However, this practice is so far deployed below its potential in the EU. Limited awareness of potential benefits among stakeholders and the general public, and lack of a supportive and coherent framework for water reuse were identified as two major barriers preventing a wider spread of this practice in the EU.

Objectives

EU rules aim to encourage and facilitate water reuse in the EU.

In the EU

At least 11%

of Europeans are affected by water scarcity

1 billion m3

of treated urban wastewater is reused annually

6 times more

treated water could be reused than current levels

Law

The Water Reuse Regulation sets out

harmonised minimum water quality requirements for the safe reuse of treated urban wastewaters in agricultural irrigation
harmonised minimum monitoring requirements
risk management provisions to assess and address potential additional health risks and possible environmental risks
permitting requirements
provisions on transparency, whereby key information on every water reuse project is made available to the public

Implementation

The regulation on water reuse will apply from 26 June 2023. The Commission will help EU countries to fully apply the new rules.

These are the guidelines to help apply the Water Reuse Regulation.

The regulation allows Member States to decide not to practice water reuse in their territory or to limit water reuse in certain areas, for reasons linked to geographical and climatic conditions, to pressures and status of their water resources or due to the environmental and resource costs of reclaimed water and of other water resources.

Some Member States, where freshwater resources are abundant and irrigation demand is low, have planned not to allow water reuse for irrigation in their countries. Some Member States have not yet made a final decision, as resource and infrastructure costs still are being evaluated. The current situation is illustrated in this map: