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Water scarcity is one of the most pressing challenges facing humanity today. As global demand for freshwater continues to rise, reusing treated wastewater is becoming an increasingly sustainable solution to ensure a reliable supply of clean water. Target 6.3 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals 6 (SDGs) emphasizes the need to improve water quality by reducing pollution, minimizing the release of hazardous chemicals, and significantly increasing the recycling and safe reuse of water by 2030.

SDG 6.3.1: Safely Treated Wastewater to Protect Health and the Environment

Indicator 6.3.1 tracks the proportion of domestic and industrial wastewater that is safely treated before it is discharged into the environment. Currently, about 58% of the world’s wastewater is treated to national or local standards. However, to meet SDG 6.3, we must significantly increase this proportion, improving wastewater treatment practices globally.

The importance of this indicator lies in its direct impact on water quality, public health, and environmental sustainability. Inadequate treatment of wastewater results in the release of pollutants and pathogens into rivers, lakes, and oceans, jeopardizing ecosystems and human populations. Properly treated wastewater, however, can be reused safely for irrigation, industrial processes, and even drinking water, creating a more sustainable and resilient water supply system.

Bluephage: Enhancing Water Treatment with Coliphage Detection

Bluephage, a company specializing in quick and easy-to-use kits for detecting and enumerating coliphages, is at the forefront of this water reuse revolution. Coliphages are not pathogenic viruses themselves but serve as important indicators of viral contamination, signaling the presence of other potentially harmful viruses. This makes them crucial in verifying the microbiological safety of treated water.

Currently, Regulation (EU) 2020/741 on the minimum requirements for water reuse focuses primarily on the control of Escherichia coli (E. coli) as a bacterial indicator to verify the efficacy of wastewater treatment. However, while E. coli is a reliable marker for bacterial contamination, it does not account for viral pathogens. Although coliphages are recognized for validating new treatments under this regulation, they are not yet required as part of the routine monitoring for the verification of treatment processes.

Advocating for a Combined Approach: E. coli and Coliphages

To ensure the microbiological safety of reused water, Bluephage advocates for the combined use of E. coli and coliphages as dual indicators of treatment efficacy. This approach provides a more comprehensive understanding of the water’s safety, as the two indicators offer complementary information. E. coli focuses on bacterial pathogens, while coliphages serve as proxies for viral pathogens.

By implementing both indicators, water treatment facilities can significantly enhance their monitoring processes and improve confidence in the safety of treated wastewater, enabling its reuse for irrigation, industrial applications, and even drinking water, thus contributing to the achievement of SDG 6.3.

A Path Toward Sustainable Water Management

For Bluephage, the goal is clear: to provide the tools necessary to verify that the wastewater treatment processes we rely on are effective, reducing environmental impact and supporting a sustainable future. With reliable, easy-to-use coliphage detection kits, Bluephage helps ensure that treated wastewater can be safely reused, contributing to the global effort to manage our precious water resources.