The European Commission has launched a new consultation on policy options to optimise water reuse in Europe - leading to a formal proposal to address the issue in 2015.
The aim of the consultation is to evaluate the most suitable EU-level instruments to foster water reuse and identify what kind of regulatory and non-regulatory EU measures could effectively address stakeholder concerns and increase the uptake of safe water re-use in the EU.
The results of the consultation will be used as input for the preparation of the forthcoming EU Impact Assessment covering all key areas of potential application of water reuse including:
- agriculture
- urban
- industrial
- recreational uses (e.g. golf courses, bathing water)
- groundwater recharge, etc.
Launching the consultation, the Commission said that Europe's freshwater resources are under increasing stress, with what it describes as “a worrying mismatch between demand for, and availability of, water resources across both temporal and geographical scales.”
The Commission’s view is that Europe’s ability to respond to the increasing risks of water scarcity and drought could be enhanced by wider reuse of treated wastewater for agricultural, industrial and urban uses in particular.
Water re-use is currently not widespread in Europe - most wastewater from urban treatment plants is simply flushed out into rivers and lakes. The Commission’s view is that increasing re-use would help respond to the increasing problems of water scarcity and drought, while reducing the risk of contamination from wastewater and lowering treatment costs. Re-use of water also has a lower environmental impact than obtaining it from other sources such as inter-regional water transfers or desalination.
At present, most wastewater originating from urban waste water treatment plants is discharged into water bodies without taking advantage of water reuse solutions’ potential. The Commission said
“It has been pointed out that this may be due to the lack of common EU environmental/health standards for re-used water and the potential obstacles to the free movement of agricultural products irrigated with reused water.”
The Commission has identified several reasons why the level of re-use is so low, including:
- Lack of common EU environmental/health standards for water re-use
- Potential obstacles to the free movement of agricultural products that were irrigated with re-used water
- Inadequate water pricing and business models
- Low stakeholder awareness about the benefits of water re-use
- Lack of public acceptance
- Technical barriers and scientific uncertainties
The maximisation of water reuse is a specific objective of the Blueprint to Safeguard Europe's Water Resources which mentioned the development of a possible regulation establishing common standards for water reuse. It is also a top priority area in the Strategic Implementation Plan of the European Innovation Partnership for Water.
As a follow-up to the Blueprint, the Commission is now aiming to evaluate the most suitable EU-level instrument/s to foster water reuse, while ensuring the health and environmental safety of water reuse practices and the free trade of food products. In 2015, the Commission intends to finalise an assessment on the issue and, subject to its conclusions, to make a proposal.
The Impact Assessment will focus on the reuse of wastewater from urban wastewater treatment plants that has been subject to, at least, secondary treatment, as well as the reuse of appropriately treated industrial wastewater.
The consultation, which is internet-based, is part of the European Commission's efforts to understand the citizens' and stakeholders' views on the need for and possible range of measures which could be undertaken in order to foster safe water reuse solutions. The results will be used as an input for the preparation of the Impact Assessment. In 2015, the Commission intends to present a formal proposal based on the evidence contained in the impact assessment.
The consultation will run to 7 November 2014. Click here to access the consultation online.
UK water companies are invited to join an upcoming webinar which will explore how the sector can take indirect potable reuse (IPR) from concept to full-scale operational reality.
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