Considerations Related to the Application of the EU Water Reuse Regulation to the Production of Snow from Reclaimed Water

Abstract

Recovering water from waste water is increasingly used. It is a part of the circular economy, enabling saving water resources. The EU regulation to use reclaimed water to irrigate crops regulates the principles of appropriate water quality preparation and indicates the possibilities of its use. An important element of the regulation is the obligation to carry out a risk assessment as the basic tool to ensure safety in the use of reclaimed water. One of the uses of reclaimed water on green areas could be ski resorts producing artificial snow. The solution to produce artificial snow from reclaimed water is still not popular. No case realized in Europe could be found, although attempts were made in the Alps to implement such projects. Australia and the USA have the most experience. Despite the positive aspect of water recovery, there are questions about the impact of snow produced in this way on the environment and the safety of users. The first project to produce artificial snow using reclaimed water appeared in Polish ski resort Kasina. Its purpose is to feed the snow guns with water coming from the local waste water treatment plant. The quality parameters of water recovered as a result of MBR technology indicate that it meets the legal requirements; however, the plant operator did not receive a water permit. The solution may be to conduct a reliable risk assessment for this local solution.

Economic Indicators in Water and Wastewater Sector Contributing to a Circular Economy (CE)

“…The process of transformation towards the circular economy in the water and wastewater sector [45] requires the involvement of all stakeholder groups, both experts working for innovative and pro-ecological solutions, and the society, which should reduce water waste in households. In addition, the implementation of circular economy principles in water and wastewater management is important for enterprises dependent on water (e.g., the cosmetics industry) and wastewater treatment plants, because their environmentally conscious decisions regarding the implementation of sustainable and circular solutions in the management of water and wastewater may accelerate the transformation process towards the CE.…”

“…The added value of the presented economic indicators is the possibility of their application in various enterprises operating in the wastewater sector, i.e., supplying water to the public, WWTPs, and other companies (public and private) that use water in their production processes and create an innovations for the water and wastewater sector (e.g., Schwander [45], Veolia [53] or Outotec [54]). The proposed economic indicators could measure the CE-related activities in water and wastewater management, as minimization of water consumption, water and wastewater treatment, water reuse (for non-consumption purposes), water recycling (for consumption purposes) and the recovery of water, energy and raw materials produced in the water and wastewater treatment processes.…”

Water Reuse—Analysis of the Possibility of Using Reclaimed Water Depending on the Quality Class in the European Countries

“…The reclaimed water can be successfully used for flushing the toilet; cleaning floors, devices, or cars; and watering the garden [21]. It should be noted that the reclaimed water must not threaten the environment [22].…”

Indicators for resource recovery monitoring within the circular economy model implementation in the wastewater sector

“…As far as water scarcity is irreplaceably connected to water resources, the problem of wastewater treatment efficiency was re-opened (van der Hoek et al, 2016). When the wastewater treatment was identified to have a major contribution to the over-exploited water resources in Europe, the EC stated that several measures are needed to promote the reuse of treated wastewater, including legislation on minimum requirements for reused water (Guerra-Rodríguez et al, 2020;Ramm, 2021). However, to provide acceptable wastewater quality that will make effluents safe to be reused for non-consumption or consumption needs can be especially expensive (Bashar et al, 2018;Bauer et al, 2020;Verstraete et al, 2009).…”