Closing the loop in water management

Circular economy (CE) is a promising business model for transitioning to regenerative, resource-efficient economies. This article aims to present a holistic practice overview of the circular economy implementation in the water sector, including the definition of water strategies, the application of digital technologies, circular business models, and the importance of real-life validation in innovation. Circular economy practices started gaining attention, and different frameworks proposed circular strategies adapted to the water sector. Mapping the water strategies to the five circular business models based on resource flows (narrow, close, slow, regenerate, and inform) allowed us to identify the need to include more explicitly the use of digital technologies in the development of circular water solutions. Therefore, a proposition is to add another strategy called “reconnect” that represents the use of new technologies. Finally, to validate circular water solutions, real-life experimental demonstrators such as the Water Oriented Living Labs (WOLLs) concept can support testing, prototyping, validating, refining, and evaluating innovative solutions toward the transition to a circular economy and a water-smart society.