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Wastewater regeneration and resource recovery from sludge: problems, prospects and strategic directions for Ukraine
Original title: РЕГЕНЕРАЦІЯ СТІЧНИХ ВОД ТА РЕСУРСНЕ ВІДНОВЛЕННЯ З ОСАДІВ: ПРОБЛЕМИ, ПЕРСПЕКТИВИ ТА СТРАТЕГІЧНІ НАПРЯМИ ДЛЯ УКРАЇНИ
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This review looks at how Ukraine could reuse treated wastewater and recover resources like nutrients and energy from sewage sludge, following EU safety standards. It matters because this sludge can contain heavy metals, harmful germs, microplastics, and drug residues, so treating it properly protects drinking water and food safety while helping rebuild war-damaged water systems.
The article examines wastewater regeneration and resource recovery from sewage sludge as one of the key directions in the transition of the water sector towards a circular economy model. The approach is substantiated whereby treated wastewater is considered not only as a flow to be discharged after treatment, but also as an alternative source of water resources for technical water supply, irrigation, municipal needs, and certain industrial processes. Modern European approaches to water reuse are analysed, in particular the provisions of Regulation (EU) 2020/741 on minimum requirements for the reuse of treated urban wastewater for agricultural irrigation, and Directive (EU) 2024/3019 concerning urban wastewater treatment, which strengthens requirements for treatment quality, risk management, nutrient removal, and the removal of micropollutants. Particular attention is paid to the management of sewage sludge and its resource potential as a source of organic matter, phosphorus, nitrogen, and biogas. At the same time, the main environmental risks associated with the presence of heavy metals, pathogenic microorganisms, microplastics, and pharmaceutical residues in sludge are identified. The main barriers to the implementation of wastewater regeneration technologies and resource recovery from sludge in Ukraine are determined, including the technological deterioration of wastewater treatment plants, the accumulation of sludge on sludge drying beds, the insufficient development of advanced treatment systems, imperfections in the regulatory framework, and the low level of public trust in the reuse of treated wastewater. It is shown that, for Ukraine, the development of wastewater regeneration and resource recovery from sludge is of strategic importance in the context of climate change, water resource scarcity, infrastructure destruction caused by military actions, and the need for post-war modernisation of municipal infrastructure.
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This review paper explores how treated wastewater and sewage sludge, often seen as waste, could instead be recycled for irrigation, water supply, and even fertilizer, following new European safety standards. However, the authors caution that sludge can contain heavy metals, disease-causing germs, microplastics, and drug residues, so proper treatment is essential before reuse to protect public health. For Ukraine, rebuilding water infrastructure this way after wartime destruction could help address water shortages while requiring careful safeguards against contamination.
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