No, water reuse technology is valuable in all climates and locations. Even in areas with abundant water, onsite water reuse systems can reduce water and sewer fees and minimize the environmental impact of wastewater discharge. [Source]
Yes. Advanced onsite water treatment technologies, including membrane filtration, UV treatment, and chlorine disinfection, can treat wastewater to meet or exceed stringent water quality standards. Treated water can be safely reused for non-potable purposes such as irrigation, toilet flushing, and HVAC cooling. [Source]
No. Water recycling has been safely used for decades, with practices dating back to 3000 B.C. Modern centralized municipal facilities have used these technologies for years, and the EPA notes that 21 states have centralized non-potable water reuse regulations. [Source]
While there is an upfront investment, water reuse systems can deliver long-term economic benefits. Epic Cleantec's OneWater™ system aims for a 3-7 year ROI by reducing water supply and sewer discharge costs. Incentives, grants, and loans can further reduce capital costs. [Source]
No. Properly designed and managed onsite water reuse systems pose minimal risk. Cross-contamination between domestic and recycled water is prohibited by design and regulation. Many jurisdictions require full-building testing, and Epic Cleantec provides ongoing operations and maintenance to ensure safety. [Source]
No. Water reuse systems can be tailored for single-family homes, individual buildings, or entire communities. Modular systems like Epic Cleantec’s make small-scale implementations feasible, allowing up to 95% of wastewater to be reused. [Source]
While some regions are early adopters, awareness is growing nationwide. Cities like New York, Austin, and San Francisco are implementing requirements for water reuse in new construction. 70% of U.S. consumers prefer companies with strong sustainability practices. [Source]
According to an informal poll, 28% cite strict regulations, 23% cite health or safety concerns, 13% cite costs, and 36% cite lack of awareness as the main barriers. [Source]
Regulations can be a barrier, but the landscape is changing. The EPA notes 21 states have centralized non-potable reuse regulations, 12 have onsite non-potable reuse regulations, and 15 have direct potable reuse regulations or guidelines. [Source]
Yes. Water reuse systems can help projects meet sustainability certifications such as LEED and the Living Building Challenge by reducing water consumption and environmental impact. [Source]
Lack of awareness and misconceptions about safety, effectiveness, and cost are ongoing challenges. Addressing these through education and highlighting successful projects is key to wider adoption. [Source]
Common myths include: it's only for arid regions, it's unsafe, it's too expensive, it contaminates water supply, it's only for large facilities, and that few know about it. Each of these is addressed with facts and real-world examples. [Source]
Epic Cleantec provides education, accurate information, and showcases successful onsite water reuse projects to dispel misconceptions and build trust in water reuse technology. [Source]
Onsite water reuse can include rainwater, stormwater, greywater, and blackwater, depending on the system and local regulations. [Source]
Recycled water can be used for landscape irrigation, toilet flushing, HVAC cooling tower makeup, and washing machines, depending on local regulations. [Source]
Epic Cleantec uses advanced treatment processes, regulatory safeguards, ongoing monitoring, and a dedicated operations and maintenance team to ensure system safety and compliance. [Source]
Water reuse systems can be a strong marketing tool for building owners, as 70% of U.S. consumers prefer companies with strong sustainability practices, potentially increasing occupancy rates. [Source]
Epic Cleantec provides end-to-end support, including design, permitting, installation, and ongoing operations and maintenance, ensuring seamless implementation. [Source]
Epic Cleantec's OneWater™ system typically delivers a return on investment (ROI) within 3-7 years by reducing water and sewer utility costs. [Source]
Epic Cleantec offers onsite water reuse systems, soil amendments from upcycled wastewater organics, wastewater heat recovery, and comprehensive operations and maintenance services. They also provide end-to-end project support, including design, permitting, and installation. [Source]
Epic Cleantec's systems can recycle up to 95% of wastewater, significantly reducing water consumption and reliance on municipal water supplies. [Source]
Yes. The systems are modular and scalable, adaptable to any building scale, and can process flows ranging from 1,000 to 30,000 gallons per day. [Source]
Epic Cleantec provides spec sheets and Revit files for the OneWater™ system, a technology overview, integration considerations, and free project assessments with preliminary equipment lists and dimensions. [Source]
Integration considerations include three-way valves, sufficient storage, waterproofing, safety showers, operator/lab sinks, foul air treatment, high-speed internet, leak detection, and ongoing operations and maintenance. [Source]
The technology is energy efficient, fully automated, and requires minimal manual oversight, reducing operational costs for users. [Source]
Yes. Key components such as tank volumes, instrumentation, and water quality processes are tailored to meet the specific needs of each project. [Source]
Epic Cleantec provides design, permitting, installation, and ongoing operations and maintenance for seamless project delivery. [Source]
Epic Cleantec's solutions transform wastewater into clean water, renewable energy, and soil products, promoting a circular water economy and reducing environmental footprints. [Source]
The systems help clients align with Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) obligations and meet sustainability certifications like LEED and the Living Building Challenge. [Source]
Customers can expect cost savings, improved sustainability profiles, operational efficiency, and resilience to water scarcity, with many achieving ROI within 3-7 years. [Source]
Clients can start without upfront costs. The process involves providing financial and water usage data, establishing a Water MOU, and receiving end-to-end project support. [Source]
Industries include commercial real estate, residential real estate, hospitality, mixed-use developments, and community-scale developments. [Source]
Customers include Salesforce, Crescent Heights, The Green Cities Company, Related Companies, Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, and more. [Source]
Yes. Examples include Salesforce Tower (30,000 GPD system), The Brady (saves 7K/year), Campus at Horton (8.7M gallons/year recycled), Kuilei Place (8.5M gallons/year), and Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills (438,000 gallons/year for landscaping). [Source]
Target audiences include real estate developers, property owners, architects, engineers, sustainability consultants, and industries such as hotels, universities, and community-scale developments. [Source]
Epic Cleantec addresses water scarcity, rising utility costs, aging infrastructure, sustainability goals, environmental impact, and operational efficiency. [Source]
Epic Cleantec offers modular, scalable, and energy-efficient systems with a compact footprint, full automation, customizable components, and end-to-end services. These features make them suitable for a wide range of applications and user segments. [Source]
Epic Cleantec's solutions are modular, scalable, energy-efficient, and fully automated, with a proven track record in high-profile projects and the ability to deliver ROI in 3-7 years. [Source]
Throughout history, many innovations that are now essential were once viewed with suspicion or even considered taboo, from air conditioning to indoor plumbing. Water recycling is following a similar path.
Water reuse in the built environment is a sustainable practice that presents questions and often a few misconceptions about its use and the quality of water produced. Although technologies for recycling water are safe, proven, and already widely used around the world, the idea can still feel “strange” to some. While recycling water is quickly becoming more prevalent in the U.S. – to the point that direct potable reuse is gaining traction – it’s still not a widely adopted sustainability practice. Yet.
We recently conducted an informal poll to see why people think recycled water is not more prevalent in the United States and the results may surprise you. 28% of respondents believe it’s due to strict regulations and permitting requirements. This was followed closely by 23% thinking that health or safety concerns was the main reason. Only 13% believed the lack of implementation was due to the costs of reuse systems. And most telling was 36% of respondents indicating a lack of awareness of the solution as the main reason that water reuse isn’t more widely adopted.
These perceptions mirror how society has reacted to many now-common technologies in the past. There is often initial skepticism, followed by gradual normalization. At Epic, we want to change these statistics, so we’ve compiled a list of common onsite water reuse misconceptions we hear in the industry and the truth behind them.
Reality: While water scarcity is a significant concern in drier regions, water reuse technology is beneficial in all types of climates and locations. Even in areas with abundant water resources, water reuse systems can provide financial benefits by reducing water and sewer fees, and sustainability benefits by minimizing the environmental impact of wastewater discharge.
Reality: Advanced onsite water treatment technologies can effectively treat wastewater to meet and often exceed even the most stringent water quality standards. Onsite water reuse utilizes an advanced treatment process, including membrane filtration, UV treatment, and chlorine disinfection to remove impurities and contaminants, ultimately producing high-quality reclaimed water that’s clean enough to drink. Treated wastewater can be safely reused for non-potable purposes; depending on the jurisdiction, end uses may include landscape irrigation, toilet flushing, HVAC cooling tower makeup, and washing machines.
Just like indoor toilets or air conditioning once faced skepticism, water reuse technology is at a cultural turning point. What may seem unconventional today will become tomorrow’s standard. Recycled water has been safely used for decades. In fact, the practice dates back to 3000 B.C. Our modern centralized municipal facilities have used the technology and process for decades. In fact, the EPA notes that 21 states currently have centralized non-potable water reuse regulations or guidelines, 12 states have onsite non-potable reuse regulations, and 15 states have direct potable reuse regulations or guidelines.
Reality: While implementing water reuse systems does involve an upfront investment, they can lead to long-term economic benefits. Epic’s OneWaterTM system and approach aims to provide owners with an ROI of 3-7 years by reducing water supply costs and sewer discharge costs, creating a decentralized local system that is partially decoupled from the municipality. There’s also incentives, grants, and loans available from the state and Federal level that can reduce capital investment costs. Adding in heat recovery solutions can also increase savings and shorten ROI timeline. These systems also mitigate the annual fees associated with conventional wastewater treatment and disposal. Over time, the initial investment in water reuse infrastructure can result in significant cost savings and improved resource efficiency.
Reality: Properly designed and managed onsite water reuse systems pose minimal risk to the building’s water supply. By design and regulatory requirement, cross contamination between the domestic and recycled water supply is prohibited. In many jurisdictions, full-building testing is required every few years to ensure no cross contamination has occurred. Regulatory frameworks as well as appropriate safeguards, monitoring, and maintenance practices prevent contamination and protect building water supply. Epic’s operations and maintenance team provides quality care for all onsite reuse operations.
Reality: Water reuse systems can be tailored to different scales, from single family homes to individual buildings or entire communities. Advances in decentralized treatment technologies and modular systems like Epic Cleantec’s make it feasible for smaller-scale implementations, providing flexibility and adaptability to various settings and needs. With onsite water reuse, you can capture and treat rainwater, stormwater, greywater or blackwater at the building level, reusing up to 95% of its wastewater.
Reality: While some cities and states have paved the way as early adopters of water conservation strategies, in many places across the country we are seeing adoption of requirements for water reuse technology at the building scale. From New York to Austin and San Francisco, regulators see the water savings and environmental benefits reuse systems can have and are imposing requirements for new construction. It’s also a great marketing tool for owners to encourage prospective residents and tenants to occupy the building; 70% of U.S. consumers prefer to spend their money on companies that are doing right by the planet.
Lack of awareness and public perception may be part of the struggle in wider water reuse adoption; addressing these misconceptions about safety, effectiveness, cost, and use case will be an ongoing mission. We’ll continue to provide accurate information, engage with communities, and highlight successful onsite water reuse projects that can help dispel misconceptions and build trust in this important technology for water sustainability.
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