Direct Potable Reuse at the Global Scale: Regulations or Bust?

Abstract

Key Takeaways

• Potable reuse regulations are not being prioritized at the international scale for several reasons:
  • The urgent need for water supplies can leave insufficient time for regulatory development.
  • The effort to develop regulations is not justified by the low number of anticipated projects.
  • Some countries do not have a culture that favors regulatory development and enforcement.
  • Use of an environmental buffer provides an avenue for pursuing reuse without additional regulatory development.
  • In many countries, existing drinking water frameworks do not explicitly prohibit potable reuse.
• Multiple strategies are used for protecting public health in the absence of potable reuse regulations: leveraging existing frameworks, building off precedents from existing projects, employing risk management approaches and demonstration facilities, and engaging experts.
• Three different regulatory approaches are discussed based on the urgency of water supply, the number of projects, and the availability of resources: (1) permitting projects on a case-by-case basis without uniform requirements, (2) developing non-enforceable guidelines, and (3) enacting regulations.