Plenary Session: Minimum requirements for water reuse

Minimum requirements for water reuse (A9-0098/2020 - Simona Bonafè)

I voted in favour of this new law, which defines for the first time at European level minimum requirements on water reuse (such as urban wastewater treated in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP)) for agricultural purposes. The goal is to ensure that such reuse is carried out safely.

One third of the EU's territory experiences pressure on its water resources. One of the biggest threats to water preservation, in quantity and quality, is its use for agricultural irrigation and industrial and urban use. This legislative proposal stems from this need to increase the reuse of water treated in WWTP, establishing obligations for the operators of these treatment facilities. Examples of these obligations are: the establishment of minimum requirements for the quality of reused water, the monitoring of reused water, and the establishment of a risk management plan in consultation with the relevant civil society authorities.
It should be noted, however, that this new legislative framework unfortunately does not establish the mandatory reuse of water for agricultural purposes for the Member States: it only regulates such reuse when it is actually carried out.

Share this post