Many countries are considering or have implemented large-scale water reclamation schemes to augment local water resources with non-potable and potable supplies. Early reclamation schemes evolved during the middle of the last century to establish an alternative to wastewater disposal mainly favoring reuse for agricultural and landscape irrigation. These non-potable reuse applications still represent the majority of water reuse worldwide today employing various tertiary treatment technologies followed by disinfection processes.

Climate change impacts have increased the pressure to use alternative water resources not only in Southern Europe but also in Eastern and Central Europe as well as other regions. Water reclamation and reuse can be a viable option, in particular for non-potable reuse applications. The EU Parliament has endorsed the first water reuse regulation in 2020, which went into effect in June of 2023 in EU member states, that specifies minimal requirements for agricultural irrigation reuse applications. Some member states, such as Germany, have further specified technical and monitoring requirements for non-potable reuse. In addition, the revised EU Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive encourages water reuse and also now requires advanced water treatment for trace organic chemical removal for WWTPs with a capacity above 150,000 PE, which offers an effluent water quality that is almost directly applicable for water reuse applications.

This talk will specify the needs and opportunities for expanding water reuse applications in Europe, discuss synergies with the requirements of the revised EU UWWTD, and evaluate the integration of water reclamation schemes into existing large-scale WWTPs.