Freshwater scarcity is an escalating global challenge, and wastewater reuse represents a strategic pathway to enhance water security, reduce environmental pressures, and promote a circular economy. This review provides an updated overview of wastewater reuse with a specific focus on the European and Italian contexts. The paper first analyzes the evolution of the regulatory landscape, from EU water directives to Regulation (EU) 2020/741, highlighting its risk-based approach and the interaction between European, national (Italy), and regional (Lombardy) implementation levels. It then presents the results of a systematic literature review (2019–2025), which identified 35 peer-reviewed studies on treatment technologies suitable for irrigation. Conventional, hybrid, and advanced processes — including membrane bioreactors, advanced oxidation processes, and integrated membrane filtration trains — are compared in terms of performance, operational constraints, and scalability. The findings confirm that no single technology ensures universal compliance; instead, context-specific multi-barrier treatment chains are required. The review also examines agricultural reuse opportunities, estimating that Italy could recover up to 23% of treated wastewater for irrigation, and discusses Managed Aquifer Recharge as a complementary strategy to enhance groundwater protection and climate resilience. Beyond technical feasibility, the study underscores the importance of agricultural consortia, tariff policies, and social acceptance in fostering reuse, with Decision Support Systems being identified as valuable tools to support farmers and consumers by enhancing transparency, safety, and trust. Overall, wastewater reuse emerges as a multidimensional challenge requiring the integration of advanced technologies, regulatory enforcement, economic incentives, and participatory approaches to unlock its full potential in European agriculture.
Wastewater reuse for agriculture in Europe: regulatory frameworks, treatment technologies, and socio-economic perspectives
Torretta V.;Rada E. C.
2026-01-01
Abstract
Freshwater scarcity is an escalating global challenge, and wastewater reuse represents a strategic pathway to enhance water security, reduce environmental pressures, and promote a circular economy. This review provides an updated overview of wastewater reuse with a specific focus on the European and Italian contexts. The paper first analyzes the evolution of the regulatory landscape, from EU water directives to Regulation (EU) 2020/741, highlighting its risk-based approach and the interaction between European, national (Italy), and regional (Lombardy) implementation levels. It then presents the results of a systematic literature review (2019–2025), which identified 35 peer-reviewed studies on treatment technologies suitable for irrigation. Conventional, hybrid, and advanced processes — including membrane bioreactors, advanced oxidation processes, and integrated membrane filtration trains — are compared in terms of performance, operational constraints, and scalability. The findings confirm that no single technology ensures universal compliance; instead, context-specific multi-barrier treatment chains are required. The review also examines agricultural reuse opportunities, estimating that Italy could recover up to 23% of treated wastewater for irrigation, and discusses Managed Aquifer Recharge as a complementary strategy to enhance groundwater protection and climate resilience. Beyond technical feasibility, the study underscores the importance of agricultural consortia, tariff policies, and social acceptance in fostering reuse, with Decision Support Systems being identified as valuable tools to support farmers and consumers by enhancing transparency, safety, and trust. Overall, wastewater reuse emerges as a multidimensional challenge requiring the integration of advanced technologies, regulatory enforcement, economic incentives, and participatory approaches to unlock its full potential in European agriculture.
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