With increasing population growth, expanding urbanization, and climate challenges, municipalities worldwide are seeking innovative ways to secure water resources. Water reuse is emerging as a sustainable, cost-effective solution to meet growing demands while reducing reliance on freshwater supplies.

Reusing municipal wastewater helps communities

While municipalities leverage non-potable reuse—such as irrigation, industrial processes, and groundwater recharge—many are advancing toward direct potable reuse (DPR), where highly treated wastewater is purified beyond drinking water standards and indirect potable reuse (IPR) where treated water is injected into an environmental buffer (groundwater, river, or reservoir) before being extracted again for use.

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:

• 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 utilized 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.
• On-site hypochlorite generation systems (OSEC®) – compact system that produces a sodium hypochlorite solution through the electrolysis of brine, using only water, salt and electricity.
• 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) – has the ability to inactivate known microorganisms, bacteria, pathogens, virus and molds, without the use of chemicals
• Ozonation – is an environmentally friendly method of treatment whereby pollutants, odors, harmful substances, and microorganisms are directly destroyed by oxidation, without harmful by-products or significant residues.
• 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.
• Digital solutions – Leverage remote monitoring, alerts, and data analytics for proactive and predictive maintenance.
• 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.