Global water scarcity, influenced by climate change, population increase, and the exhaustion of freshwater resources, requires wastewater recycling. This article emphasizes the importance of wastewater within a circular and climate-resilient economy that functions as a source of clean water, fertilizers, and energy. The Critical Insights research suggests that future wastewater treatment facilities should be designed using sustainable technologies with minimal energy requirements to increase the percentage of treated wastewater worldwide. Effluent from current wastewater plants contribute to eutrophication, so increased nutrient removal and recovery are needed. Persistent contaminants like heavy metals, PFAS, and microplastics accumulate in biosolids, complicating their use as biofertilizers in agriculture. Aquaculture wastewater has lower levels of recalcitrant contaminants, providing opportunities for testing new technologies and generating biosolids suitable for beneficial use. Using wastewater as a resource to support aquaculture and flood prevention may catalyze improved wastewater treatment. Restoring ecological balance, enhancing global food and water security, and establishing a just, regenerative, and climate-resilient circular economy require the integration of pollution removal, nutrient recycling, and renewable energy production in wastewater treatment.
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Kilbane et al. (2026) studied this question.
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