Recycling municipal wastewater for irrigating green spaces

In the City of Kalmar in south-eastern Sweden, treated wastewater effluent originating from a municipal wastewater treatment plant is disinfected by further filtration and UV light treatment and then used to water green spaces. The process: treated wastewater is pumped from the wastewater treatment plant’s discharge channel into a mobile container. There, filtration and UV light are used to reduce the content of microorganisms. A mobile tanker then transports the water to the green areas, which are irrigated directly from the tanker using a hose system.

In terms of water quality, the treated and UV-disinfected water has the potential to meet the criteria for Water Class A under EU Regulation 2020/741, which would allow its use for irrigating edible crops in agriculture. While such a high standard is not technically required for watering urban green spaces, it provides a clear benefit: it helps build trust and acceptance among the operational staff and the wider public.

The system developed in Kalmar is not only functional – it is also replicable. It can now be purchased as a turnkey solution directly from the supplier, making it easier for other municipalities or water companies to adopt similar approaches.

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