A greywater pilot project in Ontario’s Region of Waterloo will see four new homes treat and reuse shower water for toilets or laundry, allowing researchers to study the potential water savings.
The project utilizes a greywater system from Netherlands-based Hydraloop, which has partnered with land developer and home builder Activa. It involves taking the water recovered from showers in the home, then storing and treating it internally.
“With new technology making greywater reuse more affordable and viable, this pilot keeps us on the leading edge of finding real solutions to reduce water use long term,” announced Mari MacNeil, Region of Waterloo’s director of water and wastewater service, in a statement. “I’m proud of our team of innovative professionals in the region dedicated to moving us forward in sustainable water and wastewater initiatives.”
Hydraloop’s H300 single-home greywater reuse system retails for about $6,800 and resembles a refrigerator. The company says residents can expect to see water savings that range from 25% to 45%. The 300-litre volume system cleans the greywater using a three-tank system with a skimmer and UV disinfection. It has two output valves for the reusable water to be sent to the home’s toilets and washing machine.
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Region of Waterloo officials said they will monitor water savings from each of the four homes over one year. Data collected from the greywater units will be used to inform the region’s water supply strategy.
“As we see incredible growth in our community, we need to explore new ideas that will ensure we have a reliable water supply for future generations and as we grow to one million people,” announced Colleen James, chair of the Region’s Planning and Works Committee. “Finding new and innovative ways to conserve this vital resource is key to delivering on climate-aligned growth as part of our new strategic plan.”
Waterloo officials said the partnership with the regional municipality, a developer, and a vendor, is the first of its kind in North America.
