In the face of escalating climate-induced challenges, the global crisis of freshwater scarcity looms as a silent yet impending danger, expected to intensify over the years. Freshwater, an essential resource utilized in various facets of life—from quenching thirst to household activities, industrial processes, agricultural practices, and office operations—often undergoes an abrupt transformation into wastewater, deemed useless and slated for disposal into rivers, oceans, and seas.
It is imperative to recognize that the act of releasing wastewater into the environment carries both benefits and consequences for the ecosystems it permeates. Wastewater emissions, laden with nitrogen, phosphorus, and other substances from human waste, food, soaps, and detergents, contribute to the planet’s warming, presenting a multifaceted challenge.
Effectively collecting, treating, and reusing wastewater presents an array of advantages, including the reduction of wastewater volumes, the creation of environmentally sustainable job opportunities, and the exploration of new revenue streams. Furthermore, the potential for utilizing contaminated water as a climate solution by generating electricity through hydropower, addressing water insecurity, and utilizing nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium from wastewater as fertilizers underscores its untapped potential.
Nevertheless, the drawbacks associated with contaminated water cannot be overlooked. Chemicals and excessive nutrients in wastewater have adverse effects on ecosystems, degrading soil, freshwater sources, and oceans, thereby contributing to food insecurity and other social issues.
The Global Wastewater Initiative (GWWI), aligned with the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities (GPA), asserts that wastewater has emerged as a significant environmental menace. GWWI emphasizes that the release of harmful used water into the environment poses severe threats to public health, ecosystems, and socioeconomic development.
To shift the narrative towards a comprehensive understanding of the resourcefulness inherent in wastewater, it is crucial to adopt a circular economy approach. Cited is the fact that with only 11 percent of global wastewater being treated, substantial amounts of contaminated water continue to infiltrate rivers, lakes, and oceans. According to an analysis by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and GRID-Arendal in collaboration with GWWI, treating contaminated water could potentially supply over ten times the water provided by the current global desalination capacity and offset more than 10 percent of global fertilizer use.
Effectively resolving the wastewater dilemma stands as a decisive step toward achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. Specifically intertwined with SDG 6 (Water and Sanitation for All) and SDG 14 (Life below Water), the importance of addressing wastewater-related challenges cannot be overstated.
Leticia Carvalho, Principal Coordinator of the Marine and Freshwater Branch of UNEP, emphasizes that the potential within globally disposed contaminated water should not be allowed to infect the ecosystems upon which we depend. Instead, it should be optimized to its maximum potential, serving as an alternative source of clean water, energy, and essential nutrients.
In light of this, it is evident that wastewater represents a reservoir of additional resources that can be recovered, benefiting various industries. These include raw materials for producing paper, polymers, pesticides, rubber, paint, biodiesel, food preservatives and flavors, fireproofing and waterproofing fabrics, medical products, jewelry, and packaging for food, hygiene, and other essential products. The time has come to realize the promise of wastewater as a valuable asset in our pursuit of sustainability and environmental resilience.
