Europe’s water reuse measures meant to support agriculture

As of Monday, the new Water Reuse Regulation is in force in most European Union nations — and with it, the hope that safely treated urban wastewater can help farmers to irrigate their crops in the face of exceptional heat and drought, especially in southern Europe.

“Water is a precious resource that is becoming more and more scarce. Just as we are increasingly reusing other materials and rare commodities, urban wastewater can be successfully treated with the available technologies,” said Virginius Sinkevičius of Lithuania, the European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries

“That opens many possibilities for farmers who can use such reclaimed water safely for irrigation. With these new standards, consumers and farmers can be confident in the quality and safety of agricultural produce irrigated with reclaimed water.”

The EU says more than 40,000 million cubic meters of wastewater is treated each year but only 2.4% receives additional treatment so that it can be reclaimed for agricultural use. Since agriculture accounts for roughly 50% of water use in the EU, the reuse measures are expected to have meaningful climate impact in protecting biodiversity, reducing pollution, and limiting pressure on critical water resources in the future.

Water reuse can reduce fertilizer use because of existing nutrients in reclaimed water, while the energy needed to reclaim wastewater is offset by reduced levels of groundwater pumping and fertilizer applications.

The new measures are expected to align with the European Green Deal and priorities for the circular economy.

“Water reuse also contributes to the Farm to Fork Strategy’s goal of reducing the environmental footprint of the EU food system and strengthening its resilience, by providing an alternative, more reliable water source for irrigation,” the EU says. Funding options for irrigation with reclaimed water are part of the overall vision.

Some EU member states reuse as much as 89% of their treated wastewater while others do so with little to none; most nations reclaim as little as 5% of their wastewater. In total, EU officials estimate six times more water can be reused than is currently achieved.

And European nations can decide to opt out of the new rules. France, Italy and Spain have embraced the use of reclaimed water, as have Greece, Romania, Hungary and others. Germany is allowing the reuse of treated wastewater except in certain parts of the country.

Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic and Finland are among nations where it’s not permitted at this time. And still others (Ireland and Denmark) have not made a final decision.

The EU also notes the need for cooperation among states, since many European rivers and lakes span across borders. The new rules create shared minimum standards for water treatment and reuse, ensuring safe practices and making it easier for products grown while using reclaimed water to cross borders into different markets.