Drivers and barriers to urban water reuse: A systematic review

Abstract

Water recycling has been offered as an important adaptation for urban water systems facing deficits due to climate change. While the volume of recycled water has increased exponentially since the 2000s, its integration into municipal supply has not reached its potential. To better understand the processes that influence its uptake, this paper synthesizes published research that describes and analyzes adoption of water reuse in urban areas globally. We identified 39 articles published between 2010 and 2019 which document drivers and barriers of water reuse for 54 urban areas in 20 countries. Evidence shows that external environmental shocks, like drought, may be a catalyst but a nexus of place-based factors combined with economic, regulatory and political alignment more likely foster systemic change in water systems.