Why water reuse matters

As cities grow and climate pressures mount, water reuse offers a smart, sustainable way to secure our future. By recycling municipal wastewater, communities can:

• Conserve freshwater by meeting non-potable and even potable needs.
• Ensure water security with a drought-resilient supply.
• Support urban growth without straining natural sources.
• Boost agriculture with nutrient-rich irrigation.
• Protect ecosystems by reducing wastewater discharge.
• Advance circular economy goals through resource recovery.
• Save costs by delaying major infrastructure investments.
• Drive innovation and jobs in water tech and treatment.

Many municipalities are already using non-potable reuse for irrigation and industry and are now advancing toward direct and indirect potable reuse, where treated water is purified to meet or exceed drinking standards.

How Xylem supports municipal water reuse

Treating wastewater for reuse requires advanced, efficient, and scalable processes. Xylem provides tailored solutions that integrate key treatment technologies, ensuring high water quality and energy efficiency including:

Treatment technologies:

• Advanced biological treatment – essential for removing both organic and inorganic contaminants before further purification.
• Clarification – both circular and rectangular clarification equipment offerings for gravity settling of wastewater solids.
• Tertiary filtration solutions – title 22 certified equipment utilised for removing residual solids remaining after secondary solids-liquid separation processes.
• Biologically active filtration (BAF) – oxidation-enhanced filtration for removing organic and inorganic contaminants while improving water clarity.
• OSEC® On-site hypochlorite generation systems – compact system that produces a sodium hypochlorite solution through the electrolysis of brine, using only water, salt and electricity.
• Chlorination – due to its chemical properties and its high reactivity, chlorine is very well suited for the disinfection of water by killing disease-causing pathogens like bacteria, viruses, and protozoans.
• The advanced oxidation process (AOP) – customized sustainable solution, combining two or more processes to generate hydroxyl radicals (OH radicals) which oxidate micropollutants, like pharmaceuticals, personal care products and industrial chemicals.
• Ultraviolet light (UV) – can inactivate known microorganisms, bacteria, pathogens, virus and moulds, without the use of chemicals
• Ozonation – is an environmentally friendly method of treatment whereby pollutants, odours, harmful substances, and microorganisms are directly destroyed by oxidation, without harmful by-products or significant residues.

Smart and Sustainable:

• Digital solutions – Leverage remote monitoring, alerts, and data analytics for proactive and predictive maintenance.
• Custom combination of solutions – Xylem experts tailor solutions based on desired result, specific reuse application, location, as well as local regulations and statutes to ensure the most efficient and optimal combination of these technologies.

Xylem partners with municipalities to deliver customised, turnkey water reuse solutions that integrate seamlessly with existing infrastructure and meet regulatory requirements. From irrigation and agriculture to supplementing potable supplies, our technologies help reduce freshwater demand, lower energy use, and build long-term water resilience.