At Waterleau, we recognize that water is a precious resource that is becoming increasingly scarce. As industries around the world face mounting pressure to conserve water and reduce their environmental impact, more and more companies are turning to circular water models as a sustainable solution.

A linear water model follows a "take, make, dispose" approach, where water is extracted, used, and then disposed of as waste. This can result in significant water waste, pollution, and increased costs for businesses and for society. In contrast, a circular water model is designed to keep water resources in use for as long as possible through processes like reducing, recycling, reuse, and regeneration. A circular approach will help businesses to reduce their environmental impact, save money on water costs, and ensure access to clean water in the future.

Waterleau is committed to help industries in their journey from a linear to a circular water model. We have been able to help business cut down their water use significantly. Some industries are taking the lead in sustainable water use. In the beverage industry, f.i. water is one of the 3 main ingredients, next to barley and hop. Water saving immediately affects the P&L. Whereas a decade ago, up to 5 liter water was needed for every liter beer, water efficiency has significantly improved with breweries only needing 2,5 liter water per liter beer today. Waterleau even built a WaterleauBox water reuse plant in Belgium where the water footprint could be reduced to 1.2L water per liter beer. Treated wastewater is being reused over and over again for cleaning in place, crate washing etc. It will be just a matter years before treated brewery wastewater is also being reused as brew water. Some brands already do, the global brewers will follow soon.

Wastewater treatment plants can be turned into resources factories, for the recovery of water, energy and even nutrients. Still in the brewery industry, wastewater contains large quantities of organic matter. The high strength wastewater is ideal for biogas recovery. Anaerobic digestion of the wastewater allows to turn the organic pollution into methane, recovered for heating the boiler room or as electric power source. With 80 percent of the organic pollution removed in the digestion process, the remaining pollutants are removed in an aerobic treatment step.

With less power needed for aeration in the aerobic phase, the energy advantage adds up. The combined anaerobic-aerobic treatment is not only a smart way to prepare wastewater for a reuse treatment step, at the same time, the reduction of the GHG-emission and the reduced energy bill have become key-factors in the overall water treatment and recovery plan.

Circular water use promotes water recycling and reuse, limiting tap water dependency and sourcing cost. But circularity also includes unfolding the hidden opportunities of wastewater like energy recovery, greenhouse gas emission reduction and nutrient recovery.

Besides of being beneficial to the production facility, a sustainable water approach also affects society: improved public health through proper treatment, reduced water stress, more water available for the local communities.

Finally, a circular water model will enhance a company's brand reputation by demonstrating a commitment to sustainability and responsible resource management. With water scarcity dominating the new headlines, the call for sustainability will only become harder.

At Waterleau, we offer an adapted range of technologies to help our clients implement water circularity. From wastewater treatment to water recovery, our solutions are designed to help you reduce your water footprint and embrace sustainable production. With our solution we shift from energy neutral solutions to climate neutral solutions taking into account all the different GHG-emissions. With more than 600 water specialists on board, and +2000 water references in all continents, we have the expertise to help industries accelerate the adoption of a circular water strategy.