Drivers for wastewater reuse: regional analysis in the Czech Republic

The use of water across Europe varies on a country and regional level due to different climates, cultures, economies, and natural as well as political circumstances. All European countries have the following concerns in common: how to deal with water, how to satisfy the water demand for households, industry and agriculture, and how to protect the aquatic environment and ecosystems. Nowadays, wastewater reuse is becoming an economically and environmentally sound method for integrated water management. The implementation of wastewater reclamation, recycling and reuse promotes the preservation of limited water resources and becomes an attractive option for conserving and extending available water supplies. On the basis of wastewater availability for supplemental applications prior to discharge or disposal, water reuse appears to be a suitable practice with potentially beneficial use. This paper describes the potential for greater wastewater reuse in the Czech Republic. On the basis of a country-wide analysis of the water management situation, different regions were identified with particular water stress problems. The first water stressed region was identified on the basis of insufficient surface water quality where most of the rivers were ranked into the water quality category V. This region is known as an industrial area, and hence there is a possibility to reuse wastewater for industrial purposes. The second investigated region is in a rain shadow area and can be characterised as water stressed in terms of climatic conditions. This area is in the south of Moravia, which is famous for agricultural production, and there is a potential to reuse wastewater for agricultural purposes.