Role of water reuse for enhancing water management in Europe and Mediterranean countries

Recycling water is an important aspect of water resource and environment management policies, ensuring reliable alternative water resources, reducing environmental pollution and achieving a more sustainable form of development. This paper focuses on wastewater reuse as a strategy for integrated water management. Key economic, financial, regulatory, social and technical factors that help to make water reuse projects successful are reviewed. Selected examples from Northern and Western Europe and arid and semiarid Mediterranean regions illustrate the contribution of wastewater reuse to integrated management of water resources. Keywords Wastewater reuse; integrated resource management; public acceptance; regulations; economic aspects