How WaterREPEAT works
Across a vast hyper-arid territory with highly uneven and seasonal rainfall, Egypt's water balance is shaped by high evaporative demand, and concentrated irrigated agriculture that relies strongly on managed (blue) water inputs together with non-conventional supplies such as desalination for municipal needs.
Supply intelligence: Mapping treated wastewater availability
An integrated approach to map wastewater supply, quantify sectoral water demand, and identify where treated wastewater reuse can deliver the greatest impact.
Existing inventory
Wastewater treatment plant data compiled from secondary sources, including government databases. Attributes include treatment stage, plant capacity, and location.
Data gaps identified
Incomplete or missing information on:
Treatment capacity
Treated wastewater volume
Plant characteristics
Satellite-Based detection
High-resolution imagery analyzed using AI object detection models to identify previously unreported treatment plants, deployed at country scale.
Attribute estimation
Expert analysis applied to estimate missing attributes using:
Satellite-derived indicators
Identifiable treatment stages
Empirical relationships
Comprehensive wastewater database
A consolidated inventory of Wastewater Treatment Plants with:
Location
Estimated treated volume/year
Treatment characteristics
Reuse category
Water demand by sectors
Agricultural demand
Accounts for the largest share of water demand across the region.
e-ReWater identifies irrigation hotspots and persistent demand zones, helping target areas where improved efficiency and treated wastewater reuse can deliver the greatest impact.
Environmental demand
Reflects water use by ecosystems and managed landscapes.
The platform highlights high-consumption areas such as wetlands, reservoirs, and urban green spaces, supporting strategies that balance reuse with ecological sustainability.
Industrial demand
Concentrated in manufacturing clusters, e-ReWater maps high-demand industrial zones, enabling targeted reuse where water demand, infrastructure, and economic activity intersect.
Mapping Multi-Sectoral water demand
Water demand across agriculture, environment, and industry is assessed using high-resolution datasets, satellite analysis, and sectoral inventories to generate spatially consistent demand insights.
High-Resolution ETa datasets & Large-Scale processing
Multi-year, high-resolution ETa datasets
Harmonization and time-series aggregation of large geospatial datasets
Harmonization and temporal aggregation of large geospatial datasets
Agricultural and Environmental area extraction
Delineation of agricultural and environmental areas from satellite data based ETa estimates
High resolution spatio-temporal trends at pixel and sub-administrative levels
Separation of active cultivation from fallow areas
Industrial mapping and demand analysis
Industrial cluster identification by mapping industrial zones, economic hubs, and major facilities
Curate accurate industrial inventory from multi-source data at the country level
Using country level production data and sector-specific water intensity for demand estimation of various industry categories
Disaggregating the industrial water demand from country to sub-administrative levels
Identifying persistent demand hotspots
Long-term average consumptive water use trends
Identification of consistently high-consumption zones and clusters
Identification of priority zones for sustained water savings
High-Resolution ETa datasets & Large-Scale processing
Multi-year, high-resolution ETa datasets
Harmonization and time-series aggregation of large geospatial datasets
Harmonization and temporal aggregation of large geospatial datasets
Agricultural and Environmental area extraction
Delineation of agricultural and environmental areas from satellite data based ETa estimates
High resolution spatio-temporal trends at pixel and sub-administrative levels
Separation of active cultivation from fallow areas
Industrial mapping and demand analysis
Industrial cluster identification by mapping industrial zones, economic hubs, and major facilities
Curate accurate industrial inventory from multi-source data at the country level
Using country level production data and sector-specific water intensity for demand estimation of various industry categories
Disaggregating the industrial water demand from country to sub-administrative levels
Identifying persistent demand hotspots
Long-term average consumptive water use trends
Identification of consistently high-consumption zones and clusters
Identification of priority zones for sustained water savings
Matching treated wastewater supply and demand
Water-scarce regions across MENA face intensifying pressure on groundwater and freshwater resources due to climate variability and rising agricultural demand. Treated wastewater (TWW), often discharged or underutilized, represents an untapped resource that can be redirected into irrigation systems - helping balance regional water supply and demand while reducing pressure on limited freshwater reserves.
Reuse potential
Municipal and industrial treated wastewater, currently discharged to sea or surface drains in many MENA countries, can instead be redirected to agricultural land through controlled irrigation, offsetting demand on groundwater and desalinated supplies.
Monitoring and modelling
Satellite-based ET (evapotranspiration) and water productivity data - such as SSEBop-derived estimates - can track how reused water is consumed by crops, supporting supply-demand balancing across scarce basins.
Key benefits
Reduced reliance on groundwater and desalination, lower nutrient/contaminant loads reaching surface and marine waters, and more resilient, data-driven irrigation planning for climate-stressed agricultural systems.
