Award Winning Greywater Recycling
After winning an Excellence in Innovation Award, Aquacell have continued to develop our greywater recycling systems; enabling residential developments, precincts and commercial premises to recycle up to 50% of the water used on site. An Aquacell water recycling system can be retrofitted to existing buildings, and are commonly included as part of new development plans to ensure owners receive the maximum credits for Green Star or ESD projects. Though it remains non-potable, the recycled greywater goes through a vigorous decontamination process before it can be reused for irrigation, washing machines, cooling towers, toilet flushing and more. The result? You can recycle 30-50% of your water to reduce overheads, minimise your carbon footprint and meet government green incentive standards.
Water Recycling 101
Four different types of water can be recycled: Blackwater from sewerage toilets and commercial kitchens, greywater from washing and shower facilities, stormwater and rainwater. Greywater is the focus of the Aquacell G Series. Greywater includes the total wastewater from showers, washing machines, hand basins and domestic kitchens. The Aquacell G Series does not process blackwater as it requires a more stringent process, which is processed in the Aquacell S Series.
Greywater is a commonly wasted water category, as it’s contaminated by substances like laundry detergents and soaps, skin cells, saliva, food products, dirt and lint from clothing. For years this meant it was wasted, but advances in the water recycling process have changed that. The Aquacell G Series addresses each of these substances differently in a multi-stage recycling process which makes it the ideal water recycling unit for the job. By using a multi-barrier approach, the Aquacell G Series tackles every type of contaminant to fully prepare greywater for non-potable reuse.
The Benefits of Recycling Greywater
- Cut your water usage by between 30-50%
- Reuse valuable water supplies to mitigate the environmental impact
- Physical, microbiological and oxidative treatment
- Reduce commercial overhead costs
- Maximise credits for Green Star or ESD projects
The Aquacell G Series Water Recycling Process
Aquacell G Series in action
Untreated greywater is collected from various pipes at one point on the property. The greywater can be treated in two ways:
The first way (Aquacell G Series) is for the greywater to be aerobically digested to covert soluble organics into bacteria, which is then passed through a very fine, self-cleaning membrane filter. A concentrated biomass forms to metabolise incoming wastewater. The membrane filtration removes most of the pathogenic bacteria and some of the viruses from the water. The membrane filters are regularly air scoured to prevent clogging. Lastly, the water is exposed to ultraviolet light to reduce the risk of tiny pathogens. A small amount of chemical is used to protect the water while it’s in the storage and delivery system. Overall 99.9 % of the captured greywater can then be redirected for use in everything except showering and drinking.
The second way (Aquacell GX Series) eliminates the aerobic digestion step, and uses chemicals to oxidise the incoming wastewater. The remaining steps are still present: membrane filtration, UV and chlorination. This has the advantages of smaller footprint and lower capital cost. The recovery of treated water is reduced to approximately 90% of the incoming wastewater.
Water is collected from various pipes at one point on the property. The water can be treated in two ways: one is for the greywater to be and is aerobically digested to break down any insoluble material, after which the. Then air is circulated through the water so bacteria will consume any of the impurities. From here, a concentrated biomass forms to metabolise incoming waste. The next stage is membrane filtration, where membrane pores strain the viruses and bacteria from the water. The membrane filters are regularly air scoured to prevent clogging. Lastly, the water is exposed to ultraviolet light to reduce the risk of tiny pathogens. A small amount of chlorine is the only time chemicals are used to protect the water is post filtration while it’s in the storage and delivery system. Overall 99.9 % of the captured greywater can then be redirected for use in everything but drinking.
Water Recycling With A Difference
The Aquacell G Series and GX Series save the maximum amount of water, providing solutions to varying construction criteria without saturating it in chemicals and without using huge amounts of energy, this makes it perfect for green builders or anyone wanting to save water. The built-in control system enables remote adjustment in accordance with the constantly changing water at the front, to ensure constant quality at the back. This means you don’t need an onsite operator and can rely on our remote engineers to monitor your system 24/7. The Aquacell G Series is well proven across a range of applications, and comes with an experienced customer service team that can help you to manage green incentive regulations and compliance expectations without any hassle.
Contact us today to connect with our water recycling experts. We can discuss your current situation and recommend the best possible solution to cut water wastage and improve your bottom line.