Water reuse

As a response to increasing evidence that there is less rain in many parts of Europe, the Union is now equipped with a new piece of legislation that will make the use of treated wastewater to irrigate crops safe, transparent and accessible to farmers: the Regulation on minimum requirements for water reuse for agricultural irrigation (the Water Reuse Regulation (Regulation (EU)2020/741)).

Introduction

The Water Reuse Regulation (WRR) will increase the trust of consumers and farmers in this circular approach to the use of water, ensuring it is safe and reducing the pressures of abstractions on increasingly scarce water resources. It will also help preserve the water resources needed by the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. This is a tool to help protect biodiversity, for achieving zero pollution and adapting to climate change.

This new Regulation requires that urban wastewater, which has already been treated in accordance with the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD), is further treated to meet the minimum quality standards of the Regulation to be suitable for agricultural use.

As water stress is exacerbated by climate change impacts, the use of this reclaimed water in agriculture can play an important role in tackling water scarcity and drought. By setting minimum quality standards, the WRR promotes the safe use of reclaimed water in agriculture and ensures the protection of human and animal health and the environment.

Did you know?

38% of the EU population was affected by water scarcity in 2019

By 2030 water stress and scarcity will probably affect half of Europe’s river basins

More than 40,000 million m³ of wastewater is treated in the EU every year but only the 2.4% is further treated to be reused

Circularity in the use of water for increased resilience

Good quality water in sufficient quantity is vital for the sustainable growth of European society and economy and for the protection of the environment. However, freshwater resources in EU countries are increasingly coming under pressure, leading to water stress and poorer water quality. Climate change, with its unpredictable weather patterns and more frequent and severe droughts are contributing significantly to lower water availability.

In line with the European Green Deal and the principles of the Circular Economy, water reuse for agriculture can help preserve our freshwater resources and increase our resilience to water stress by reducing the water abstraction from rivers, lakes and groundwater.

Agriculture supports the production of food and other agricultural products necessary for the health and prosperity of European citizens. EU is the global leader of agri-food exports, employing over 40 million people. However, the EU agriculture sector is also one of the major users of freshwater resources in Europe, accounting for approximately 50% of total annual water consumption.

Water demand from agriculture is highest in late spring and summer, when water availability is at its lowest in many parts of Europe. Water reuse can ensure that farmers have access to a more predictable supply of clean water and help them adapt to unpredictable water availability, as well as improve resilience to climate change and mitigate its impacts. In addition, reusing water can increase investment in innovative treatment technologies and competitiveness on the market.

The Water Reuse Regulation sets out minimum standards to give EU citizens and businesses confidence in the quality of reclaimed water and agricultural products. It also sets out common monitoring requirements, risk management provisions for possible health and environmental risks, and ensures transparency, so that key information about any water reuse project will be available to the public.

Application of the new rules

The legislative set up

The Water Reuse Regulation is applicable as of 26 June 2023. The Regulation sets out:

Minimum water quality requirements in the European Union for the safe reuse of treated urban wastewaters in agricultural irrigation;
Harmonised minimum monitoring requirements, notably the frequency of monitoring for each water quality parameter, and validation monitoring requirements;
Risk management provisions to assess and address potential additional health risks to human and animals; and possible environmental risks;
Permitting requirements for producing and supplying reclaimed water;
Transparency, whereby key information about any water reuse project is made available to the public.

State of play in the Member States

The Member States have been preparing for the application of the new rules, with many choosing to integrate the new rules into relevant national law or strategies. Some are also regulating water reuse for applications beyond agricultural irrigation.

Where treated wastewater is reused for irrigation in agriculture, this must be done in accordance with the new rules. However, the Water Reuse Regulation allows Member States to decide not to practice water reuse in their territory or to limit the water reuse in certain areas.

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 map below shows which countries in the European Union currently allow water reuse (June 2023).

Map - Member States where water reuse for agricultural irrigation is allowed (June 2023)

Source: DG Environment, June 2023
Note: The map is based on information gathered through the Common Implementation Strategy. It will be kept up to date on the basis of official notifications from MSs that have decided to invoke Article 2(2) of the Water Reuse Regulation, thus not allowing water reuse in (part of) their territory.

If you want to learn more

Water reuse is commonly and successfully practised in several EU Member States, including for example Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain, as well as in other countries, for example, Israel, USA (California), Australia and Singapore.

However, more can be done in the EU. While about 40 billion m3 of waste water is treated every year in the EU (corresponding to about 19 % of the EU’s annual total water abstraction), only about 1 billion m3 of this water is further treated and reused in the EU. The Water Reuse Regulation can help unlock that potential and boost cost-efficient and safe water supply for agriculture.

Background

Over abstraction of freshwater resources is a major cause of water stress, with irrigation being one of the main pressures. Other significant pressures are domestic uses and industry, and in particular water abstraction for cooling in power stations.

Water stress in Europe is expected to worsen in the future, as a result of climate change and socio-economic development such as urbanisation, energy demands and tourism. For an increase in global temperature of 3 °C, conditions of significant water stress will be extended and intensified in southern Europe, as well as in other parts of Europe, including areas in Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Poland and Romania. Moreover, the duration of seasonal water stress is projected to increase by up to one month, with the highest increase expected in the Iberian Peninsula and other parts of the Mediterranean region.

Over the past thirty years, droughts have dramatically increased in number and intensity in EU countries and at least 30 % of the European population and 20% of its territory are already affected by water scarcity on average every year

The role of reclaimed water as an alternative source of water supply is now well-recognised in international, European and national strategies. The UN Sustainable Development Goal on Water (SDG 6) calls for a substantial increase in recycling and safe reuse of water by 2030. Water reuse featured as a top priority in the Strategic Implementation Plan of the European Innovation Partnership on Water, and as an important objective of the 2012 Communication "Blueprint to safeguard Europe's water resources".

Water reuse provides significant environmental, social and economic benefits. It can improve the status of water bodies by reducing water abstractions. Moreover, in comparison with other ways of sourcing water, such as desalination or water transfer, water reuse can often be shown to be cheaper and more efficient, in terms of costs and energy, with lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Water reuse is a more reliable and predictable water supply, quite independent from seasonal droughts and weather variability, reducing the risk of crop failure and income losses. It contributes to the economy, not only in the farming sector, but in the water treatment technologies sector, with significant opportunities from job creations in the water industry.

Several EU Member States already practise water reuse for applications including irrigation, industry and aquifer recharge. But large potentials are awaiting to be unlocked.