Common Implementation Strategy on Water Reuse in Europe

1. Drafting Common Implementation Strategy (CIS)
Guidance on Water Reuse: State of play
Claudia de Luca
DG Environment
Unit C1 Water
European Commission

2. Drafting CIS
Guidance on
Water Reuse:
State of play
Claudia de Luca
DG ENV, Unit C1 Water

3. Activities to date
 An outline structure of the guidance circulated for comment to CIS
WG Programme of Measures (PoM) in mid-2015
 First draft guidance shared with WG PoM in October 2015
 WG PoM established a drafting group (MSs and stakeholders)
 Second draft produced and discussed by drafting group in
December 2015
 Third draft circulated for comments to drafting group, previous WG
PoM, WG Chemicals, Groundwater, Ecostat, SCG and the EIP Action
groups

4. Key Points: Scope
 The CIS guidance document provides
information, guidance and pilot case examples
 Attention on river basin/water scarcity planning – taking in
consideration water hierarchy
 The guidance stresses the importance of all relevant sources and
uses for reused treated wastewater; main emphasis on
appropriate safe use in irrigation (agriculture and landscape)
and aquifer recharge.
 It explores benefits, risks and challenges of reuse.

5. Key Points: Reuse standards
 The guidance does not promote specific standards, but stresses
the need to meet the right standards for each use and refers to
MS/international standards
 It explores how standards should be promoted and implemented,
e.g. in public communication, issuing permits, monitoring, etc.

6. Key Points: Planning, Communication
and Funding
 It provides a step-by-step guide to the main issues to consider in
planning for reuse
 It explores the consistency with the existing EU legislation (WFD,
Groundwater legislation, UWWTD, Nitrate Directive)
 It examines funding issues, such as income generation from
water pricing, EU funding water reuse schemes, etc.
 It stresses the role of public participation and communication

7. Future planning
 Comments on the 3rd draft of the guidance due by 17 February
 Need to get the text right – correct emphasis, accuracy, etc., and
seeking for other examples
 Draft 4 will be discussed during the drafting group meeting in March
2016
 Final draft to be provided to SCG in May 2016
 Aim: Water Directors approval in June 2016
 The timetable is ambitious, but we have kept to the planned
timetable to this point!

8. Thank you for your attention !
Information and documents available at the
dedicated EC Internet page:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/reuse.ht
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