RT Journal Article
T1 Challenges for Circular Economy under the EU 2020/741 Wastewater Reuse Regulation
A1 Berbel, Julio
A1 Mesa Pérez, Enrique
A1 Simón, Pedro
K1 Water
K1 Circular Economy
K1 European Union
K1 Water Reuse
AB Wastewater reuse is seen as an opportunity to support a circular economy and optimize water resources. However, the use of wastewater is limited by the need for the proper protection of health and the environment and demands a certain minimum quality of treated reclaimed water. The objective of this work is to evaluate the opportunities both for the agents in the water treatment chain (from municipalities to farmers) and for technology providers under the recently approved Regulation EU-2020/741. The new market and opportunities require new value chains, technology development, governance, risk assurance, and adapted local regulation. Bottlenecks also pose technological, environmental, institutional, economic, and social challenges. The identified needs and barriers must be properly addressed in order to accelerate the transformation of the water sector toward the circular economy. As a conclusion, Reg EU 2020/741 introduces minimum requirements for urban wastewater reuse and requires the definition of risk management and transparency. The real impact of regulation on circular-economy objectives is limited by water scarcity and crop profitability. Social acceptance is critical for success.
PB Wiley
YR 2023
FD 2023-05-26
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10433/26091
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10433/26091
LA en
NO J. Berbel, E. Mesa-Pérez, P. Simón, Challenges for Circular Economy under the EU 2020/741 Wastewater Reuse Regulation. Global Challenges 2023, 7, 2200232. https://doi.org/10.1002/gch2.202200232
NO Este artículo es una reflexión basada en la recopilación de los resultados del proyecto SuWaNu-Europe, que recoge los análisis realizados en los distintos WP del mismo.
NO Universidad de Córdoba
NO Universidad Pablo de Olavide
NO ESAMUR
DS RIO
RD May 27, 2026