The European Commission wants to have minimum requirements for treated (waste) water. MEP Jan Huitema (VVD) therefore visited the waste water treatment plant (AWZI) Harnaschpolder and pepper grower Van der Lelij on 4 December at the invitation of GroentenFruit Huis, the Dutch Water Authorities and LTO Glaskracht. He spoke at the AWZI with, among others, Kees Wantenaar (GroentenFruit Huis), Jean Aerts (LTO Glaskracht Netherlands) and Ingrid ter Woorst (Dutch Water Authorities).
The European Commission wants to have minimum requirements for treated (waste) water. Water which in the near future may, as a source for irrigation, possibly provide a solution for horticulture. That is why Huitema also visited the greenhouses of pepper grower Van der Lelij in Den Hoorn to hear which points of consideration in the political debate are important for the growers.
Huitema is, in the European Parliament, directly involved in the negotiations about the proposal. He indicated during the visit that the European rules should not stand in the way of innovation in the sector. He also emphasized that the use of reused (waste) water should under no circumstances become an obligation, but that it does offer interesting opportunities within the framework of Circular Economy: "How do we complete the circle?" was the question he asked at the end of the visit.
View the proposal from the European Commission here: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/pdf/water_reuse_regulation.pdf
Source: GroentenFruit Huis