Wastewater - Turning Problem to Solution

Executive summary

processes so that we can safely recover the valuable embodied products. But negative public perceptions and concerns – about environmental and health risks – still surround wastewater resource recovery and reuse. There is a need for inspired critical thinking to transform the perception of wastewater from being an end-of pipe pollution problem to a flourishing resource. To change how water is used, collected, treated and valued will require policies and actions that are inclusive and equitable. It will also need appropriate financing and capacity-building. tackling the triple planetary crisis of climate, nature and pollution. Wastewater reuse needs to be a key component of the United Nations Water Action Agenda. Promoting wastewater as a resource requires raising awareness of the potential benefits of reuse. Leaving this issue behind will seriously undermine progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as the reuse of water and other resources from wastewater can make an important contribution to food and water security, with the potential to provide alternative water resources, valuable nutrients, create new jobs, develop new energy streams and ensure a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. The issues Water is central to life, biodiversity, ecosystem integrity, food and energy production, yet decades of mismanaging our water resources through overconsumption, pollution and insufficient recycling have led to a global water crisis. This is exacerbated by climate change impacts, population growth and urbanization. Sustainable water management is critical and must include how water is managed once it has been used. Wastewater volumes are continually increasing, and despite some progress in treatment and reuse over the past decade, untreated wastewater remains a significant global challenge – around half of the world’s wastewater still enters the environment without adequate treatment. In 2013, it was estimated that the annual production of wastewater, primarily from municipal sources, to be 330 billion m 3 . Subsequent estimates suggest this had risen to 360–380 billion m 3 /year by 2015. This is five times the volume of water passing over Niagara Falls annually. Elevating the reuse of resources from wastewater in the international policy agenda is critical to

More than 10 years have passed since the release of the report Sick Water? The Central Role of Wastewater Management in Sustainable Development – A Rapid Response Assessment report (“the Sick Water? report”), and despite some progress, significant amounts of wastewater are still being released untreated into the environment. Untreated wastewater is one of the key drivers of biodiversity loss and a major threat to human health, particularly affecting the most vulnerable people and ecosystems. But when adequately treated, wastewater can become a valuable resource. This new report “Wastewater – Turning Problem to Solution” examines solutions to the challenges in realising sustainable wastewater management and capitalising on the opportunities for resource recovery and reuse. The report considers how to develop and extend these solutions to locations where improved wastewater management is desperately needed. Key messages people produce every day, no matter who or where they are. It is produced in large quantities and then forgotten about. Ignoring this important resource would be a mistake that undermines our reliance on finite water supplies. It is time to transform how we see wastewater, from a smelly and dangerous source of pollution, improperly managed, having severe negative impacts on environmental and human health, to a well-managed and valued resource carrying huge potential as a source of clean water, energy, nutrients and other materials. This resource could help provide sustainable solutions to address the worsening environmental and societal crises, many rooted in water shortages, that contribute to food insecurity and undermine ecosystems. Only 11 per cent of the estimated total of domestic and industrial wastewater produced is currently being reused. Out of sight cannot be out of mind when it comes to wastewater. Wastewater is used water, something Given the world’s worsening water and food and energy security crises, we cannot afford to waste a drop. The untapped potential for wastewater reuse is around 320 billion cubic metres (m 3 ) per year, with the potential to supply more than 10 times the current global desalination capacity. Unlocking the potential of wastewater requires rigorous collection and treatment

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