ENL 30/24 – Water Management

(Revision of ENL 30/16)

Water use is receiving increased attention with pressure on availability of drinking and other water and in Europe on achieving the European Union targets for water quality. Water is becoming an increasingly scarce and expensive resource with mains water, sewerage and trade effluent charges rising.  Unlike greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) which is a global environmental issue, water use is a local environmental issue with water use assessed at the level of river basins or catchment areas. In addition to which the impacts of climate change are being felt across Europe.  Over the past thirty years, droughts have dramatically increased in number and intensity in the EU.