Wastewater has the potential to become a valuable resource which can help achieve water security and circularity.
Wastewater is a growing health and environmental threat, accounting for almost as much planet-warming emissions as the aviation industry. Almost 50 per cent still enters the environment untreated, posing to be a serious risk to the health of the environment and humans alike.
Harmful pollutants from untreated wastewater affect marine life causing habitat degradation. On land, exposed pollutants can enter water pipes causing an outbreak of severe diseases and affecting basic sanitation provision.
Water is a finite resource and the demand from a rapidly growing population puts additional stress on freshwater bodies and sustainable wastewater management shows great promise to fulfil this growing demand. With the right policies, wastewater could be an invaluable resource, providing alternative energy to half a billion people, supplying over 10 times the water provided by current global desalination capacity and offsetting over 10 per cent of global fertilizer use.
