Making waves: One Water quality standardization concept – A leap for sustainable water management

Current water management frameworks are often disjointed, failing to consider the full range of potential water uses. This fragmentation leads to inconsistent regulations; for example, potable water production from wastewater often faces stricter quality standards than water sourced from even wastewater-impacted surface waters. This article proposes a use-based approach to water management, developing water quality standards that account for the economic, public health, and ecological needs of downstream users. We advocate for expanding the concept of water quality from simple pollutant removal to “building water” to match the needs of users, so desired constituents are either left in the source water or added to treated water to meet specific user needs. This strategy requires a multidimensional, risk-based regulatory framework, supported by advances in data science and affordable measurement tools for effective enforcement. Such advancement enables a move beyond binary standards to foster sustainable global water resource management and mitigate scarcity.