Water reuse in the European Union: fostering and constraining public acceptance

ABSTRACT Water reuse is indicated by the European institutions as a key tool in promoting a circular economy and addressing the current dramatic overuse and pollution of freshwater. Nevertheless, this practice is encountering a certain degree of resistance from the public, understood as the main stakeholders and social actors involved in the water cycle. This article poses a series of questions concerning the ways in which the public's apparent reluctance to embrace reuse practices might be addressed, exploring the capacity of the Union to implement environmental and climate strategies. By analysing the legal nature of water reuse and risk management plans, the idea is put forward that water reuse is a measure that must be considered and that, under certain conditions, should be mandatory. This argument is substantiated by an examination of the cross-cutting nature of water reuse practices and the associated obligations, encompassing environmental protection, energy efficiency, and intergenerational justice.