Sophie Melchers is a researcher in the Institute of Constitutional law, Administrative law and Legal Theory at Utrecht University and is affiliated with the Utrecht University Centre for Water, Oceans and Sustainability Law (UCWOSL) and the Delta Climate Centre in Vlissingen. Her research lies at the intersection of international, European and national water and environmental law and broader sustainability transitions.

Her PhD research focused on the legal (im)possibilities of reusing wastewater as part of the transition to a circular water economy. As a PhD candidate, she was affiliated with the AquaConnect project and investigated the role of law and governance in promoting sustainable water management in the Netherlands and Europe. Among other things, she studied the implementation of European legislation on water reuse, the interplay between technological innovation and legal systems, and how the risks associated with wastewater reuse can be regulated. Her work has resulted in academic publications on European approaches to water reuse, comparisons between different Member States, and the governance of risks within European legislation.

She is also a member of the core team of the Empirical Legal Studies (ELS) Lab.