Onsite water reuse involves recycling wastewater within a building or community to reduce potable water demand, reuse water, and recycle wastewater resources. Epic Cleantec's systems treat and repurpose water for uses such as toilet flushing, irrigation, cooling towers, and laundry, supporting a circular water economy. Learn more.
Epic Cleantec provides innovative onsite water reuse solutions for buildings and communities, enabling up to 95% water recycling. Their systems transform wastewater into clean water, renewable energy, and soil products, helping clients save water, reduce utility costs, and achieve sustainability goals. About Epic Cleantec.
Epic Cleantec's solutions are designed for real estate developers, property owners, architects, engineers, sustainability consultants, and organizations managing residential, commercial, mixed-use, and community-scale developments. Industries served include hotels, resorts, universities, wineries, breweries, and data centers. Who We Serve.
Larger projects with high water usage, such as multifamily residential buildings, office towers, and community-scale developments, are ideal for onsite water reuse. Projects in cities with high water and sewer utility rates, like San Francisco, Seattle, and New York, often see favorable ROI. Smaller projects may also benefit if utility rates are high. Source.
Key factors include project size, location (utility rates), available end uses for recycled water, local/state regulations, sustainability goals (LEED, Living Building Challenge), and type of construction (new vs. retrofit). Early engagement with regulators and professional engineers is recommended. Source.
Epic Cleantec's systems feature modular and scalable design (1,000–30,000 gallons/day), compact footprint (fits in a few parking spaces), energy efficiency, full automation, customizable components, and end-to-end services including design, permitting, installation, and ongoing operations. Solutions Page.
Epic Cleantec's technology enables buildings to recycle up to 95% of their water, creating a safe, reliable, and local water supply. Source.
Recycled water can be used for toilet and urinal flushing, irrigation, cooling equipment makeup, ornamental water features, and clothes washing. Regulations may require specific uses, such as clothes washing in San Francisco. Source.
Yes, Epic Cleantec upcycles wastewater organics into nutrient-rich soil products and offers wastewater heat recovery solutions to improve energy efficiency. Soil Amendments | Heat Recovery.
Epic Cleantec provides spec sheets and Revit files for the OneWater™ system, technology overviews, integration considerations, and free project assessments with preliminary equipment lists and dimensions. These resources are available on their website. Technical Docs.
Customers can expect significant cost savings on water and sewer utilities, enhanced sustainability profiles (LEED, Living Building Challenge), alignment with ESG goals, operational efficiency, reduced environmental impact, and resilience to water scarcity. Many achieve ROI within 3–7 years. Source.
Customers often face water scarcity, rising utility costs, aging infrastructure, sustainability certification requirements, environmental impact concerns, and operational inefficiencies. Epic Cleantec's solutions address these by recycling water, reducing costs, and supporting sustainability goals. Source.
Epic Cleantec's onsite wastewater reuse systems can earn projects up to 25 LEED points and help meet Living Building Challenge requirements. These certifications enhance building reputation, property value, and user satisfaction. LEED Points.
Epic Cleantec's case studies cover commercial real estate, residential real estate, hospitality, mixed-use developments, and community-scale developments. Projects include Salesforce Tower, The Brady, Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, Chorus, and Park Habitat. Projects Page.
Yes. Examples include Salesforce Tower (30,000 GPD system), The Brady (6,000 gallons/day, 7K annual savings), Campus at Horton (8.7 million gallons/year), Kuilei Place (8.5 million gallons/year), Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills (438,000 gallons/year for landscaping), and Chorus (end-to-end O&M). Case Studies.
Epic Cleantec is trusted by Commercial Plumbing Inc., Crescent Heights, Forge Development Partners, The Green Cities Company, Greython, Iron Mechanical, JWM, Kobayashi Group, Pūlama Lānaʻi, Related Companies, Salesforce, Sentral, SOM, Southland Industries, Stockdale Capital Partners, Strada, Tālo Management Group, Westbank, and LAXWA. Source.
Regulations vary by location. San Francisco requires new construction over 100,000 sq ft to install wastewater reuse. New York City offers utility fee reductions for water reuse. Austin requires cooling towers in multifamily/commercial buildings to use non-potable water and mandates recycling for large developments. Source.
Epic Cleantec assists clients with design, permitting, installation, and ongoing operations, ensuring systems meet all local and national standards. Early engagement with regulators is recommended to streamline compliance. Source.
Some jurisdictions offer grants and incentives for installing wastewater reuse systems. For example, New York City provides utility fee reductions, and other cities may offer attractive incentives. Epic Cleantec can help identify available programs. Source.
Payback periods vary by project size and location. Examples: Seattle—greywater system for 300-unit multifamily: 5 years; blackwater system for 700,000 sq ft office: 3 years. Atlanta—greywater for 1,000 units: 7 years. New York City—blackwater for 500,000 sq ft office: 7 years. Source.
Larger projects and those in cities with high utility rates (e.g., San Francisco, Seattle, D.C.) see greater utility bill savings and faster ROI. Smaller projects may benefit if utility rates are high. The more water usage replaced, the better the financial return. Source.
No upfront costs are required. Clients can start working with Epic Cleantec immediately without initial fees. Preliminary data collection is needed, followed by a Water Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to outline scope and terms. Financing Page.
Clients should provide three years of financial information, one year of water usage and rate data, and a review of corporation details. Epic Cleantec then establishes a Water MOU and provides end-to-end project support. Financing Page.
Integration requires a three-way valve for diversion, sufficient storage for equalization and treatment, waterproofing of tanks, safety shower and lab sink, foul air treatment, chemical storage, high-speed internet, remote viewing, leak detection, and room drainage. Ongoing operations and maintenance are also needed. Integration Details.
For the OneWater™ Rain system, integration includes upstream diversion, sufficient storage, waterproofing, local operator/lab sink, high-speed internet, room drainage, and day tanks for serving multiple reuse types. Rain System Details.
Epic Cleantec offers end-to-end support, including design, permitting, installation, and ongoing operations. The process is streamlined, with no upfront costs and efficient project assessment. Implementation timelines vary by project complexity. Financing Page.
Epic Cleantec stands out with modular and scalable design, compact footprint, energy efficiency, full automation, customizable components, and comprehensive end-to-end services. Their systems are suitable for a wide range of project sizes and industries, with proven ROI and sustainability impact. Source.
Epic Cleantec offers up to 95% water recycling, significant cost savings, modular and scalable systems, compact footprint, energy efficiency, full automation, customizable components, and end-to-end services. Trusted by leading organizations and implemented in high-profile projects, their solutions deliver proven results. Source.
Real estate developers benefit from utility cost savings and ESG alignment; community-scale developments gain sustainability and reduced costs; universities achieve water resilience; wineries, breweries, and distilleries secure reliable water supply and environmental impact reduction. Source.
Epic Cleantec's modular and scalable design, compact footprint, energy efficiency, full automation, customizable components, and end-to-end services solve diverse use cases and deliver proven ROI. Their systems are trusted by industry leaders and implemented in high-profile projects. Source.
You have likely heard the familiar sustainability adage: reduce, reuse, recycle. But have you heard it applied to water? If you’ve read our background on wastewater reuse blog, you know that our focus at Epic is to transition the industry toward a more circular approach for water and wastewater management. Our goal is to implement onsite wastewater reuse in as many projects as possible —by reducing potable demand, reusing water, and recycling wastewater resources, onsite reuse can accomplish all three of the R’s. Aa true sustainability slam dunk.
However, we also know that not all projects are suited for onsite reuse. There are many factors to weigh aside from sustainability impact: cost-benefit, regulations, market fit, and more. If you are considering onsite reuse for your project and whether it check’s all of the boxes, this high-level outline will help inform that decision-making process. And as always, we’re happy to answer any questions you have as it relates to your specific project.
While each project is unique, below are a few considerations that are most helpful in determining if a project is a good fit for onsite water reuse technology.
Simply put, the larger the project, the more suitable it is for onsite reuse. This is because larger projects use more water, which increases the potential utility bill savings. A small project using a small amount of water is typically not going to be able to offset the capital costs of the system and the ongoing costs of the O&M in a target payback period.
The other consideration in that analysis is the project’s location, which determines the municipal water and sewer utility rates. Larger cities on the coast, such as San Francisco, Seattle, and D.C., have higher water and sewer utility rates, meaning they must pay more per volume for using municipal water. The infographic below gives an example of combined water and sewer utility rates across the United States.
The best use case, therefore, is a large project in a city with high utility rates. However, smaller projects in cities with high utility rates, and conversely, large projects in cities with lower utility rates, can also show favorable ROIs. For example:
These simplified examples give an idea of how size and location affect the financial return of a wastewater treatment system. The calculations also assume that water is being reused for flushing, laundry (as applicable), and cooling towers, and include estimates for design/system cost as well as annual O&M. They do not include installation costs, which will vary by region. The end use demands of your project may be different, which will change the analysis considerably.
In general, the more water usage that the onsite treatment system can replace, the better.
Once water is recycled and treated, where will it be utilized? Identifying available end uses for recycled water is an essential decision in the design process.
Luckily, there are many options! United States regulations allow wastewater to be reused for toilet and urinal flushing, irrigation, cooling equipment makeup, ornamental water features, and clothes washing. Now you may think: clothes washing?! Yes! In fact, the city of San Francisco requires recycled water to be used for clothes washing, and other jurisdictions may soon be on the way.
Usually, the most straightforward option is the flush fixtures. This is because flush fixtures and clothes washers operate daily and on a predictable schedule, generally aligned with the pattern for wastewater supply.
Irrigation and cooling equipment makeup are also great options because they have the potential to use a very large volume of water, but the seasonality of the water demand will need to be considered. If recycled water is used solely cooling tower makeup or solely irrigation, an optimization analysis will determine how to size the treatment system for optimal payback while covering the most amount of the seasonal peak water demand as possible.
It’s important to conduct research or speak with an expert to determine what regulations exist in your area governing wastewater reuse. You may find that some level of wastewater reuse is required. You may also find that while it may not be required, attractive grants and incentives exist to motivate projects to install wastewater reuse. Connect with us if you’re interested in finding out what grants or incentives may be available in your area.
Here are some examples of U.S. cities with current wastewater reuse regulations:
Even if wastewater reuse is not required or incentivized, local jurisdictions may very likely have rules and regulations governing the design and implementation of onsite reuse systems. Engaging regulators early in the process will streamline the process and ensure that the system is designed to and operating in accordance with all local and national standards. Epic Cleantec can help with this process.
Is your project targeting LEED Certification? How about the Living Building Challenge? These certifications can enhance a building’s reputation, property value, and user satisfaction. It’s also a great way to market your building to future residents or tenants!
An onsite wastewater reuse system has the potential to earn a project up to 25 LEED points. The graph below shows the huge benefit that an onsite wastewater treatment system can add to a LEED project. One thing to note is that this estimate is based on a project in California and points may vary between regions and/or sites.
Is your project a retrofit or new construction? Either can work, but there are important parameters to keep in mind for a retrofit. Is the plumbing infrastructure for recycled water piping installed, or can be installed without cost prohibitive demo? Does the site have room for the equipment and tanks, and can they be installed without prohibitive demo? It is helpful to speak with a professional engineer to determine whether an installation is feasible for all types of construction.
New construction projects provide flexibility in the design and scope if onsite reuse is considered early on. We serve as the single point of contact to walk you through the entire process, from design to installation and permitting of the system.
While these considerations are not comprehensive of all the necessary drivers, they should serve as a good starting point to think about for your next project. One of the biggest drivers is location, and factors such as local climate, regulations and utility rates make an impact in ROI. Interested in learning more? Read more about how we determine ROI for projects.
The information covered here represents only a tiny fraction of the information on onsite wastewater reuse systems. Let’s discuss your upcoming project to see if onsite water reuse is right for it!
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