Reaqua Systems’ toilet technology recycles wastewater from baths, showers and some sinks for use in flushing toilets — and can extract heat from the greywater, feeding it back into the central heating system.
The reAqua and reAqua+ units, available in the UK, both reduce water consumption by a third, while the latter (which has the optional heat recovery from the greywater) also enables a two-fold reduction in CO2 emissions, the company says.
The two products can be used in retrofits and new buildings. A revised plumbing setup takes all wastewater from baths and showers, redirecting it through a compact reAqua filtration unit where it is treated with a disinfectant. This treated water is collected in a tank and piped on, as required, to supply all the flushing water needs for multiple toilets.
A family of four will typically save 110,000 liters of water each year using a reAqua system, the company says. A development of 20 family homes uses just over 4.38 million liters of water annually. Fitted with reAqua technology, the development would save a total of 1.46 million liters, Reaqua Systems says.
Plus, the new technology means users don’t have to make any lifestyle changes, Reaqua Systems CEO Stephen Bates says. There’s no need to fit water rationing and flow restriction technology such as low-flush toilets or low-flow showers.
Also, Bates adds, unlike other water recycling concepts such as rainwater harvesting, reAqua’s greywater supply is predictable, consistent and not dependent on the weather.
End users can expect savings on metered water bills between £200 ($311) and £500($771) a year, with a typical payback time of three to seven years, the company says. Fitting a reAqua+ system typically offers a projected lifetime saving of between £4,000 ($6,222) and £10,000 ($15,554) per unit.