The NEWater team reports a new open-access study in Applied Soil Ecology that follows the effects of very low, environmentally realistic concentrations of pharmaceuticals in irrigation water across the soil–plant–insect continuum. Using a controlled zucchini–cotton aphid model, the authors combined high-resolution soil microbiome profiling with plant growth measurements and insect biology, including quantitative assays of aphid endosymbionts. The central signal is subtle but consistent: overall soil diversity remains broadly stable, yet community composition shifts toward genera associated with opportunistic pathogenicity, while aphids feeding on treated plants show a marked reduction in beneficial endosymbionts even when survival and fecundity appear unchanged. These findings point to an ecological reconfiguration that standard growth-only endpoints would miss, highlighting the value of coupling microbial, agronomic, and cross-trophic indicators in water-reuse safety assessments.

Why this matters

As regions scale up circular water strategies, decision makers need early indicators that reveal biological change before visible agronomic impacts. The study suggests that trace pharmaceutical mixtures can quietly reorganize the below-ground community and alter insect microbial partnerships without triggering immediate yield penalties. Monitoring palettes that include soil pathobiome composition, conservative antibiotic-resistance proxies, and insect symbiont status can provide earlier and more actionable signals than bulk chemistry alone. For NEWater, this evidence strengthens the case for risk-aware reuse frameworks that are practical for operators yet sensitive to low-level ecological change, ensuring reclaimed water remains safe and beneficial in real agricultural contexts.

Study overview

The experimental design mimicked routine irrigation with a realistic mixture of commonly detected pharmaceuticals at very low concentrations. Plants were grown under controlled conditions to isolate treatment effects, soils were profiled through 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to capture community structure, and a widely used genetic marker was tracked as a proxy for antibiotic-resistance selection. Plant biomass and leaf number were measured alongside aphid performance across generations, and aphid endosymbionts were quantified to reveal internal microbial responses. Taken together, these layers show that community composition can drift toward taxa of concern while classical resistance markers and crop performance remain steady, and that insect symbionts provide a sensitive readout of plant-mediated exposure.

Implications for safe reuse

Utilities and farmers adopting reclaimed water can use these insights to refine monitoring and treatment choices. If early microbiome signals indicate a drift in the soil pathobiome or a decline in beneficial insect symbionts, operators can adjust polishing steps or operational parameters before agronomic performance deteriorates. Integrating microbiome composition, sentinel resistance markers, and cross-trophic indicators into routine surveillance will improve the precision of risk management while keeping costs and logistics realistic for Mediterranean agroecosystems and beyond.

Following the successful workshop in the afternoon of 17 September 2025, the NEWater Project consortium convened a full meeting hosted at ICRA’s facilities in Girona. This meeting brought together project partners from research institutes, universities and industry to review progress to date, address technical and operational issues, and map out next-steps for lab implementation, validation and market readiness.

The consortium discussion focused on a number of critical items:

• Assessment of the current status of NEWater’s four demonstration laboratories (Labs 1 to 4) that span different non-conventional water sources (urban wastewater, greywater, brine concentrates) and application contexts (agriculture, hydrogen production, decentralized urban systems).
• Technical performance review of the nature-based hybrid systems under development — including NBS green walls treating greywater (Lab4, in Girona), nutrient recovery and hydrochar applications, advanced membranes for high recovery desalination and integrated energy–water systems.
• Business models and market-uptake strategies: how to move beyond demonstration to replicable, cost-effective solutions that integrate water, energy, nutrients and circular economy value chains. NEWater emphasises the creation of new services and jobs in water-energy-agriculture sectors.
• Regulatory, social acceptability and stakeholder engagement issues: given the nature-based treatment of non-conventional water streams, discussions highlighted the need for governance frameworks, stakeholder buy-in and public acceptance, especially when edible crops are irrigated with reclaimed water streams.
• Planning for the next phase: setting timelines for validation, cost/benefit assessment, replication strategies and preparation of deliverables for the mid-term review of the project.

By consolidating these strategic directions, the consortium reinforced the alignment across partners and reaffirmed the project’s ambition: to deliver a water-system transformation oriented towards resource recovery, circular economy and climate resilience. As the NEWater Project expands its demonstration footprint and prepares for market and policy uptake, this meeting ensures that technical innovation is matched with business viability and societal relevance.

We are delighted to share that the NEWater Project recently convened its Mid-Term Event in Madrid, where partners and stakeholders gathered to review progress to date, exchange insights, and chart the path ahead. This milestone marks both a celebration of achievements and a refocusing of efforts as we head into the next phase of the project.

Since its launch, NEWater has committed to developing nature-based and low-energy consumption unconventional solutions for water sources, integrating hybrid biological, physical and nature-based technologies. As detailed on the project website, the initiative is coordinated by Sapienza University of Rome and brings together a multidisciplinary consortium of academic and industrial partners across Europe and beyond.

At the Madrid event, consortium members presented the work completed so far: the development of demonstration labs (rural, urban, industrial) validating decentralised treatments, nutrient recovery, advanced membranes, greywater reuse and circular water-energy-material loops. The presentations showcased data, pilot-scale results and early modelling and economic assessments — demonstrating that NEWater’s approach is entering a phase of real-world operational maturity.

The feedback from attendees was especially positive: the presentations were received as a kind of success, with many stakeholders deeply appreciating the quality of work carried out to date, the clarity of the deployment plans and the commitment of the consortium. Looking ahead, there was a strong sense of enthusiasm for the planned next activities: scale-up of the validation units, further stakeholder engagement, policy and market uptake steps, and the integration of results into business models and value chains.

We would like to congratulate the entire NEWater team for the excellent work accomplished so far. Your dedication to advancing sustainable water reuse, closing loops, reducing operating costs and energy consumption is already making a difference. And we look forward with confidence to the upcoming phases — full implementation of the Water Labs, advance of social-economic modelling, replication and scaling, and real market integration of the solutions developed.

Onwards and upwards — here’s to the next chapter of NEWater!

The Università degli Studi della Basilicata (UNIBAS), through its Department of Agricultural, Forest, Food and Environmental Sciences (DAFE), announces a new Master’s thesis that aligns closely with one of the most urgent challenges facing modern agriculture: the sustainable use of non-conventional water resources. As part of the Corso di Laurea Magistrale in Scienze e Tecnologie Agrarie, Dr. Francesco Costanza has completed his thesis titled “Utilizzo di acque non convenzionali in agricoltura: effetti sulle reti trofiche.” The work, supervised by Prof. Donatella Battaglia with Prof. Vincenzo Trotta as co-supervisor, focuses on a theme that sits at the intersection of water management, ecological sustainability, and agricultural innovation.

Agriculture currently consumes more freshwater than any other sector, and increasing climate variability is intensifying competition for this essential resource. In Mediterranean regions in particular, prolonged droughts and seasonal water shortages have accelerated the exploration of alternative water sources, including treated wastewater, reclaimed water, and marginal-quality water. These non-conventional resources are increasingly viewed not only as a response to water scarcity but as strategic components of circular-economy models, where nutrients and water are recovered and reintroduced into productive cycles rather than discarded. However, their integration into agriculture requires a thorough understanding of how these water sources may influence the ecological balance of farming systems.

This is where the ecological lens of Costanza’s thesis becomes essential. Agricultural environments are structured around complex trophic networks, the interconnected system of organisms—from microorganisms and soil fauna to plants and higher consumers—that collectively regulate soil health, nutrient cycling, and ecosystem stability. When irrigation water carries different chemical characteristics, such as altered nutrient loads, organic compounds, salts, or residual micropollutants, these inputs may shift the structure and functioning of these networks. Even small changes in microbial composition, nutrient availability, or soil chemistry can cascade through trophic levels, affecting processes such as decomposition, plant–microbe interactions, pest–predator dynamics, and overall ecosystem productivity. Understanding these ecological dimensions is key to ensuring that water reuse practices are not only agronomically efficient but also environmentally sound.

The thesis topic also integrates naturally into the broader scientific mission of NEWater, a European initiative that develops low-energy, nature-based solutions for treating and reusing unconventional waters, especially in rural and agricultural contexts. UNIBAS contributes to the project by evaluating how such water sources can be safely integrated into crop systems while minimizing environmental risks. By investigating how non-conventional waters may influence trophic relationships, this thesis supports the development of scientifically grounded guidelines for water reuse. It highlights the importance of assessing water not merely as an input for plant growth, but as a factor capable of reshaping ecological interactions and long-term soil functionality.

This work therefore contributes to an evolving conversation within agricultural research: the need to move beyond purely chemical or agronomic assessments toward an integrated ecological understanding of irrigation strategies. As agriculture moves toward greater resource efficiency and resilience, studies like this one help clarify the ecological boundaries within which non-conventional water can be used safely. In doing so, they offer valuable scientific insights to ongoing efforts to design agricultural systems that are productive, climate-resilient, and ecologically balanced.

We extend our warmest congratulations to Dr. Francesco Costanza for this achievement and recognize the relevance of his work to the scientific community engaged in sustainable water management. His thesis reinforces the commitment of UNIBAS and the NEWater project to advancing knowledge in support of more resilient and ecologically informed agricultural practices.

A new research study from the University of Basilicata sheds light on how trace contaminants found in reused water can quietly move through agricultural ecosystems, with consequences that extend far beyond the plants themselves.

As water reuse becomes increasingly important for sustainable agriculture, understanding the fate of residual pesticides has become critical. In this study, researchers explored how fipronil, a persistent insecticide frequently detected in treated wastewater, can move through a three-level food chain and affect both pests and the beneficial insects used for biological control.

Using environmentally realistic concentrations (10 µg/L), fipronil was applied to zucchini plants (Cucurbita pepo) via irrigation. The team then monitored how the insecticide accumulated in plant tissues and how it affected: Aphis gossypii, a common aphid pest and Aphidius colemani, a parasitoid wasp widely used in integrated pest management (IPM)

The findings reveal important ecological signals. Aphids feeding on contaminated plants showed reduced survival and lower reproductive capacity, indicating that even low-level pesticide exposure in irrigation water can disrupt herbivore physiology. These changes then cascaded upward: parasitoids developing on exposed aphids also showed altered life-history traits, suggesting a decline in fitness.

While no direct insecticide application was made to insects, the study demonstrates that indirect exposure through plants is enough to influence multitrophic interactions.

These insights are especially relevant for the safe and sustainable use of non-conventional water in agriculture. By highlighting potential risks to beneficial insects, essential allies in pest control, the research supports more comprehensive environmental risk assessments in water reuse strategies.

The study was presented by Dr. Roberto Rosamilia (University of Basilicata) at the 16th International Symposium “Ecology of Aphidophaga”, held in Bologna, Italy, from 8-12 September 2025. This conference brings together global experts on aphid predators, parasitoids, and ecological interactions, offering an ideal platform to showcase research on trophic impacts linked to water reuse.

This work reinforces a key NEWater principle: ensuring that circular water solutions also safeguard ecosystem health.

Following the successful workshop in the afternoon of 17 September 2025, the NEWater Project consortium convened a full meeting hosted at ICRA’s facilities in Girona. This meeting brought together project partners from research institutes, universities and industry to review progress to date, address technical and operational issues, and map out next-steps for lab implementation, validation and market readiness.

The consortium discussion focused on a number of critical items:

• Assessment of the current status of NEWater’s four demonstration laboratories (Labs 1 to 4) that span different non-conventional water sources (urban wastewater, greywater, brine concentrates) and application contexts (agriculture, hydrogen production, decentralized urban systems).
• Technical performance review of the nature-based hybrid systems under development — including NBS green walls treating greywater (Lab4, in Girona), nutrient recovery and hydrochar applications, advanced membranes for high recovery desalination and integrated energy–water systems.
• Business models and market-uptake strategies: how to move beyond demonstration to replicable, cost-effective solutions that integrate water, energy, nutrients and circular economy value chains. NEWater emphasises the creation of new services and jobs in water-energy-agriculture sectors.
• Regulatory, social acceptability and stakeholder engagement issues: given the nature-based treatment of non-conventional water streams, discussions highlighted the need for governance frameworks, stakeholder buy-in and public acceptance, especially when edible crops are irrigated with reclaimed water streams.
• Planning for the next phase: setting timelines for validation, cost/benefit assessment, replication strategies and preparation of deliverables for the mid-term review of the project.

By consolidating these strategic directions, the consortium reinforced the alignment across partners and reaffirmed the project’s ambition: to deliver a water-system transformation oriented towards resource recovery, circular economy and climate resilience. As the NEWater Project expands its demonstration footprint and prepares for market and policy uptake, this meeting ensures that technical innovation is matched with business viability and societal relevance.

The NEWater Consortium is entering a key milestone with its upcoming midterm evaluation, a crucial step in assessing the project’s progress toward achieving its ambitious goals of sustainable and safe water reuse.
This evaluation will provide a comprehensive review of the project’s achievements across its multiple work packages, focusing on technological innovation, environmental safety, and stakeholder engagement throughout the Mediterranean region.

Assessing progress and innovation across sectors

Since its launch, NEWater has united leading research and academic institutions — including Sapienza University of Rome (Italy), Università degli Studi della Basilicata (Italy), University of Porto (Portugal), Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Israel), and the Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA, Spain) — to pioneer low-energy, nature-based solutions for safe and circular water reuse.

The midterm evaluation, conducted by an independent panel of experts, will review:

• The scientific progress made within the project’s laboratories and pilot sites,
• The effectiveness of cross-sectoral demonstration activities,
• The integration of risk assessment, modelling, and sustainability evaluation,
• And the impact of NEWater’s outreach, training, and dissemination initiatives.

Through this process, the consortium aims to validate its achievements and identify opportunities to strengthen collaboration and scale up successful approaches to urban, industrial, and agricultural water reuse.

A collaborative vision for safety and circularity

“NEWater represents a shared commitment to rethinking water reuse as a pillar of sustainability,” said Prof. Pietro Zuorro, Project Coordinator from Sapienza University of Rome.
“This midterm evaluation will not only measure our progress but also reaffirm the consortium’s dedication to developing solutions that integrate safety, innovation, and circular economy principles.”

The evaluation will focus on the technical advances achieved across NEWater’s key areas — including wastewater treatment, nutrient recovery, greywater reuse, and effluent desalination — as well as the environmental and socio-economic frameworks that support their long-term implementation.

Looking ahead

The findings from the midterm evaluation will guide the next phase of NEWater’s activities, ensuring that research outcomes continue to align with real-world needs and European sustainability priorities.
Results and recommendations will be made publicly available on the official NEWater website, offering transparency and insight into the project’s contribution to building resilient, circular, and safe water systems for the Mediterranean and beyond.

NEWater – Evaluating progress, driving innovation, and strengthening circular water management for a sustainable future.