Scaling water reuse: a tipping point for municipal and industrial use

Cities and industries generate nearly 1 billion cubic meters of used water each day, however, much of it is untreated and discharged into the environment. This resource can be captured and purified to reduce pressure on freshwater sources, lower pollution, and mobilize new sources of financing. 

Although global reuse capacity has tripled over the past 20 years and is expanding at nearly 7% annually, total water reuse across all applications still accounts for only 12% of municipal freshwater withdrawals, and for potable and industrial reuse, just 3%.

This report emphasizes the critical role of public policy, regulation, and funding in creating the enabling conditions needed to scale water reuse, while also mobilizing private sector participation and finance. The business case for reuse is strongest when wastewater is available close to the point of use, which tends to be the case for urban centers and industrial parks. Therefore, the core focus of the report is on the municipal and industrial sectors. 

It also draws on global data and real-world examples to show how water reuse stands out as a financially sound and environmentally responsible approach when supported by enabling frameworks.

The report provides differentiated roadmaps for national and state governments, municipalities and utilities, and corporates and industries. Across these, several cross-cutting themes emerge that all actors can leverage to advance reuse:

1. The establishment of reuse ambitions and strategies, combined with integrated planning
2. Support for programmatic approaches to drive scale and lower costs and risks
3. Clear pricing signals and regulations to create the conditions for private sector participation
4. The design of bankable investments through appropriate delivery models and financing instruments, including the efficient use of public funding

source:

https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/water/publication/scaling-water-reuse