Wastewater offers an effective alternative water supply. As several EU countries increasingly experience droughts, reusing water from urban wastewater treatment plants can help address water scarcity by ensuring a safe and reliable source of water. This process reduces the pressure on existing water bodies and enhances the EU's capacity to adapt to climate change.

Regulation (EU) 2020/741 on minimum requirements for water reuse sets out essential standards for water quality and monitoring along with rules on risk management, for the safe use of reclaimed water for agricultural irrigation in the context of integrated water management.

The regulation is applicable whenever treated urban wastewater is repurposed for agricultural purposes.

An EU Member State can decide not to reuse water for agricultural irrigation in specific river basin districts or sections based on certain criteria, such as:

• the geographic and climatic conditions of the area;

• the pressures on and the status of other water resources;

• the pressures on and the status of the surface water bodies in which treated urban waste water is discharged;

• the environmental and resource costs of reclaimed water and of other water resources.

Such a decision must be justified and regularly reviewed to take into account changing circumstances.

The reclamation facility operator must ensure that reclaimed water intended for agricultural irrigation meets:

• the minimum water quality requirements, covering microbiological elements and monitoring requirements for routine and validation checks;
• any additional conditions concerning water quality set by the relevant authority.

The relevant national authority must ensure that a water-reuse risk management plan to produce, supply and use reclaimed water is drawn up.

The European Commission, in consultation with Member States and stakeholders, has prepared guidelines to help apply the Water Reuse Regulation.

Related regulations:

• Regulation (EU) 2020/741 on minimum requirements for water reuse

• Communication COM(2015) 614 final – Closing the loop – An EU action plan for the Circular Economy 

• Communication COM(2012) 673 final – A Blueprint to Safeguard Europe’s Water Resources