Professor Frédéric Coulon, Director of the Environmental Biotechnology Innovation Center (EBIC), explores how a holistic approach to water management can address increasing pressures on water quality while supporting environmental, social and economic resilience.
Water tends to be thought of as flowing in a straight line. They are extracted from the environment, used, and then released. It is believed that the cycle is completed when the water flows into the drain or back into the river.
In reality, water never actually leaves the system. It constantly moves through soil, ecosystems, industry, and our homes, and eventually returns to us. Understanding this closed loop is becoming increasingly important as pressures on water quality increase. This is because pollutants introduced at one stage inevitably move through the cycle and reappear elsewhere. This reinforces the need for a more coordinated approach to managing water across society and the environment.
Water connects many parts of the natural and built environments, and its condition often reflects the broader health of the surrounding system. Changes in soil quality, agricultural practices, or industrial activities are often first detected in rivers, groundwater, or coastal waters. Through this lens, water serves as a key indicator linking food production, biodiversity, and public health in ways that are not always immediately visible.
Reconsider wastewater
Adopting a broader perspective also opens up new possibilities for restoration. In environmental biotechnology, researchers are increasingly using biological processes to purify water more sustainably. Microbes do much of this work in wastewater treatment, breaking down pollution and removing nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, reducing reliance on energy-intensive chemical treatments. These living systems act as essential infrastructure and help maintain balance in both the natural and built environments.
By building these processes, you can completely overhaul your wastewater. Instead of treating it as waste, it can be treated as a resource whose value can be recovered. Nutrients can be returned to the land, treated water can support industrial and environmental uses, and biosolids produced during treatment can be safely reapplied to the soil for profit. Water, waste and land therefore form a single integrated cycle, highlighting the importance of managing the system holistically rather than in individual stages.
Tackling challenges through interconnection
A more coordinated approach to water management is also essential to addressing the root of the problem. Limiting efforts to localized or end-of-pipe treatments reduces the ability to prevent problems before they occur. Separating water management from agriculture and ecosystem health also overlooks the close interrelationships between these systems. A holistic understanding allows for early intervention, reducing damage to the environment and reducing the need for more intensive treatments in the future.
The need for this change is further exacerbated by the increasing pressure on water systems. Water quality management is becoming more complex due to rising treatment costs, emerging contaminants, and rising environmental expectations. At the same time, optimizing the movement of water within the system offers an opportunity to strengthen resilience, reduce long-term costs, and protect public health if innovations are effectively implemented.
Bridging the gap between academia and industry
Progress will depend on stronger collaboration between academia and industry. Although some partnerships are well established, gaps remain between laboratory testing and real-world deployment. Moving technology from proof of concept to pilot and demonstration scale requires infrastructure, specialized skills, and training capabilities that are not always readily available. Supporting this critical intermediate step is essential if research is to translate into real change. This topic will be explored in more detail at the upcoming Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Center (IBioIC) annual conference.
The water sector has made great strides in sustainability and efficiency, but decisions made today will determine whether water continues to be treated as waste or whether its full value is realized within a circular bioeconomy. Viewing water as central to environmental, social and economic resilience, rather than simply a resource to be used and discharged, enables actions that strengthen these systems while promoting stronger and more sustainable water cycles.
Professor Frederic Coulon will be attending the flagship conference of the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Center (IBioIC) in partnership with the Biobased and Biodegradable Industries Association (BBIA) at the Technology and Innovation Center in Glasgow on 10-11 March.
This article will also be published in the quarterly magazine issue 25.
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