How Europe is overcoming barriers to agricultural water reuse

Europe faces an unprecedented water crisis that continues to intensify. Three years ago, the continent faced its worst drought in 60 years. According to the European Environment Agency,  water scarcity continues to affect a substantial share of EU territory and population, with southern Europe especially exposed, seeing 30% of its population under permanent water stress.

Water scarcity is particularly challenging for agriculture. While the sector accounts for one-third of water use across Europe, this figure reaches up to 80% in southern regions where irrigation is essential for crop production. 

Farmers in these areas have historically had access to cheap groundwater through abstraction licenses, paying as little as a few cents per cubic meter. However, properly treated wastewater reuse systems cost at least 10 times more due to filtration, disinfection and distribution infrastructure. When presented with these economics, even farmers eager for additional water sources quickly lose interest.

The disconnect becomes more pronounced when considering that agriculture faces the greatest economic impact from drought conditions. Research shows that 84% of drought’s economic impact falls on agriculture and farmers, often forcing small farms to close or transition to drought-resistant crops.

Yet change is accelerating across Europe. France, for example, has embarked on an ambitious plan to increase water reuse from just 1% currently to 10% by 2030, a tenfold increase that would bring the country in line with Spain and Italy’s reuse rates. This shift represents more than 1,000 planned projects entering operation before 2027, focusing on non-potable applications like irrigation and municipal uses.

Regulatory challenges creating opportunities
Health authorities across Europe have historically resisted wastewater reuse, with their default response often being to prohibit new applications due to pathogen concerns. Agricultural irrigation requires strict control to prevent contamination by pathogens such as E. coli, Legionella and Salmonella. 

The 2022 drought served as a critical turning point. As reservoirs dropped to historic lows, authorities began recognizing that properly treated wastewater could provide a safe alternative to stressed natural resources. Success stories emerge when projects combine regulatory approval with genuine water scarcity — like in southern Spain and France, where municipalities invested in reuse facilities after being directed to stop pumping from aquifers.

Once initial projects demonstrate safety through operational experience, subsequent approvals become easier to obtain, creating momentum for broader water reuse programs.

Technology solutions meet distance realities
Agricultural water reuse technology focuses primarily on pathogen removal rather than the advanced treatment required for drinking water applications. The main agenda involves eliminating harmful bacteria and viruses to ensure safe irrigation of crops that may be consumed fresh or processed.

Veolia’s approach places ultrafiltration membranes at the core of its barrier strategy for pathogen removal. This can be combined with UV disinfection to provide multiple barriers against contamination. An alternative approach uses high-quality filtration followed by UV treatment, both of which can achieve the pathogen-free water quality required for agricultural irrigation.

Distribution systems create additional challenges. Long irrigation networks can allow water to become recontaminated as it travels from the treatment facility to fields. To address this, systems often include chlorination or other disinfection methods after primary treatment to maintain water quality throughout the distribution network.

However, treatment technology costs pale compared to infrastructure expenses. Distance represents the single greatest challenge for project economics. Water weighs 1 ton per cubic meter, and transporting it over significant distances requires substantial energy and infrastructure investment.

Veolia’s Jourdain project in France’s Vendée region cost approximately €6-7 million, while the pipes to transport water 27 kilometers to the reservoir cost €25 million. This roughly four-to-one ratio shows why agricultural reuse projects work best when treatment facilities are located close to irrigation demand. 

Projects succeed when treatment facilities are located near irrigation demand. When water must travel 10, 15 or 20 kilometers, the infrastructure becomes prohibitively expensive, making site selection critical for project viability.

Veolia’s comprehensive approach and Europe’s water future
Veolia’s recent Argelès-sur-Mer project in southern France exemplifies how to address both technical and economic challenges at scale. This facility will reuse 1.3 million cubic meters of treated wastewater annually, equivalent to five months of the area’s potable water consumption. Operational as of June 2026, the project is the first to receive support from France’s hydraulic fund.

Veolia will install a membrane ultrafiltration system to meet Category A water quality standards, the highest level under French regulations. The treated water will be used for drip irrigation over approximately 700 hectares of agricultural land, mainly fruit orchards, helping to reduce reliance on groundwater and drinking water supplies. The project addresses mounting water resource pressures that have intensified in the Eastern Pyrenees since the 2022 drought.

France’s plan to launch 1,000 reuse projects by 2027 creates a template other European countries will likely follow as water scarcity intensifies. Success requires partnerships that create ecological transformations while addressing regulatory, financial and operational challenges.  Veolia is committed to creating these end-to-end solutions through its GreenUp initiative that seeks to decarbonize, depollute and regenerate our natural resources.

Contact our experts today to develop a customized agricultural water reuse strategy that addresses local conditions while meeting regulatory requirements and economic constraints.