GLOBE-Net, June 25, 2012 - The over-extraction
of water from rivers has reduced river flows, particularly in water
scarce areas, affecting their ecological status.
A recent study has found that citizens in a water-stressed river
basin of Spain are willing to pay over €5 extra on top of their
monthly water bill to treat wastewater that can be used to
replenish river flows.
Over-extraction of river water for use in agriculture and by
cities reduces water flow in rivers and may lead to environmental
stress. One objective set by the EU's Water Framework Directive
(WFD)1 is to ensure an adequate flow of water in
rivers.
Using reclaimed water is one way to moderate the effect of water
shortages. This is water that has been treated and recycled for use
in agricultural or landscape irrigation, in industry and for
non-drinking water purposes in urban areas. In addition, reclaimed
water can be released into rivers to boost water flows, which could
help European rivers in water scarce areas achieve a good
ecological status, as required by the WFD.
The study estimated the non-market environmental benefits of
using reclaimed water to boost river flow in the Segura basin in
southern Spain. Many environmental benefits, such as clean air and
water, are not traded in markets, and valuing these environmental
goods typically relies on methods based on the public's willingness
to pay for the environmental benefit: in this case, the extra cost
of wastewater treatment for release into the river.
Water demand in the Segura River basin exceeds water supply,
even though extra water is transferred to the basin, and water
stress here is the third highest in Europe. Reclaimed water
presently accounts for 12.8% of irrigated water used in the area
and city dwellers and industries presently pay for the cost of
cleaning the water through a treatment charge of €6 a month per
household, which is added to the water bill.
Through a survey, 337 people were questioned about their
willingness to pay for increased wastewater treatment so that the
reclaimed water could be used to increase river flow and improve
the ecological status of the river.
On average, respondents were willing to pay an extra €5.31 a
month to use the reclaimed wastewater for environmental purposes,
even though the price of water in the region is one of the highest
in Europe. It is estimated that increasing the river flow would
generate a benefit of €24.12 million a year.
Of the respondents, younger people, and smaller, higher income
households were willing to pay the most. People who used the river
for recreational purposes were also willing to pay more than people
who did not.
- See: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/water-framework/index_en.html
Source: Alcon, F., Martin-Ortega, J.,
Berbel, J., de Miguel, M.D. (2012) Environmental benefits of
reclaimed water: an economic assessment in the context of the Water
Framework Directive. Water Policy. 14: 148-159. DOI:
10.2166/wp.2011.001..