Exploring the links between standardization on water reuse and the sustainable development goals

Abstract

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide an ambitious agenda until 2030 to engage every country in the world, to ensure that development is both socially and environmentally sustainable. Long-term sustainability requires acknowledging that resources, such as water, are finite. The potential role of water reuse as an alternative source of water supply is clearly incorporated in the 2030 Agenda. Standards, such as the ones developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), can help to build confidence in the quality and safety of reused water. This paper explores the potential for linking SDGs, international standardization and water reuses by answering the following questions: How do the SDGs address water reuse in terms of goals and targets? How can standardization promote practical solutions to implement water reuse in order to contribute to the SDGs?"