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Recycled water is a reliable source of water that must be taken into account in formulating a sustainable water policy. Water reuse is a growing field and many projects have been occurring throughout Europe in the last fifteen years. Most of northern EU countries have abundant water resources. In this case, the need for extra supply through the reuse of treated wastewater is not a priority, but the protection of the receiving environment is considered as an important issue. The situation is different in the southern EU countries, where the additional resource brought by water reuse promoted the implementation of a number of new projects. One of the major constraints for water reuse and its public acceptance is the lack of relevant legislation at EU level. As a result of this situation, both strict and flexible standards can be found in Europe, even in the same country (Spain, for example), illustrating an important equity issue, which needs to be addressed.

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