The European Commission’s environment department is consulting on how best to encourage water re-use, including the introduction of EU-wide safety standards for re-used water and targets for water-stressed countries.
The policy options suggested by the department are similar to recommendations put forward by consultants in the spring. DG Environment aims to finalise an impact assessment and put forward any legislative proposals next year.
Other options include the development of non-binding guidelines on encouraging water re-use and its position under existing EU water laws, and promoting international standards for agricultural re-use that should be completed in 2015. A number of EU member states already have their own standards for re-used water but some are considered too strict. There are also concerns that food grown with re-used water might be subject to trade restrictions.
EU-wide standards might help address such issues and could be used as the basis for issuing permits for water re-use, the environment department explains in a background document released alongside the consultation. These standards would have to go beyond simple limits on pathogens and substances like salt to include wider requirements such as the development of project-specific risk management plans.
Regarding water-stressed countries, one suggestion is that they should be required to assess the potential for re-use while drawing up river basin management plans and set targets where appropriate. Its impact assessment will focus on the re-use of appropriately treated water from sewage works and industry, and cover all possible uses including agriculture, groundwater recharge, and recreational uses like irrigating golf courses.
By 2025, the EU could re-use 3,222 cubic megametres of water a year. This represents only 1.4% of freshwater withdrawals but is more than three times the amount of urban wastewater currently re-used, according to the Commission. The greatest potential for re-use is in Spain, Italy and Bulgaria, followed by Germany and France.
The consultation will run until 7 November 2014.
Source: Envirocentrenews.ie – Commission Consults On Water Re-Use Measures
