Greywater - the relatively clean wastewater generated by showers, baths, basins, and similar sources - represents a significant and largely recoverable proportion of a building's total water consumption. Rather than sending it to drain, it can be treated on-site and recycled for non-potable applications, reducing freshwater demand, cutting operational costs, and contributing to the sustainability credentials of a building or development.
Hydrotec designs and delivers greywater recycling systems across the full range of building types and scales - from smaller hospitality and residential schemes through to large mixed-use developments, resorts, campuses, and industrial facilities. We work with M&E consultants and contractors at the design and specification stage, and directly with developers, facilities managers, and site operators managing operational buildings.
Water is an increasingly constrained resource.
Across much of the world - and acutely so across the Middle East, North Africa, and other water-stressed regions - freshwater supply is under structural pressure. Buildings account for a substantial share of urban water demand, and the commercial and regulatory case for reducing that demand is growing. Greywater recycling can displace a meaningful volume of potable water, particularly where WC flushing, landscape irrigation, cooling tower make-up, and similar non-potable applications represent a significant proportion of overall consumption.
For hotels, resorts, and large hospitality operations in particular, the scale of greywater generation - and the cost of the freshwater it replaces - makes recycling not just an environmental consideration but a straightforward operational one.
The treatment required depends on the incoming water quality and the intended end use.
Lightly contaminated greywater from showers and washbasins can often be treated to a suitable standard for WC flushing with a relatively compact process. Higher-flow systems, or those targeting more demanding reuse applications such as open irrigation or cooling, require a greater degree of treatment and more rigorous ongoing monitoring to manage microbial risk and ensure consistent output quality.
Regulatory standards for treated greywater reuse vary by jurisdiction but are present in most markets Hydrotec operates in. In the UK, water efficiency in new buildings is addressed under Part G of the Building Regulations. Internationally, sustainability rating schemes including BREEAM, LEED, and Estidama all recognise water recycling measures, and a number of Gulf municipalities now mandate or strongly incentivise greywater reuse in new developments.
Our Solutions
Greywater systems range from around 5 m³/day for smaller buildings up to 1,000 m³/day and beyond for large-scale developments. Technology selection is matched to the scale and application - simpler filtration-based systems at the smaller end, through to DAF, ultrafiltration, and full biological treatment at larger flows or where a higher output quality is required.
Mechanical Treatment
- Multimedia and cartridge filtration - cost-effective treatment for lightly loaded greywater at smaller scales (typically 5--50 m³/day)
- Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) - effective removal of suspended solids, fats, and surfactants, suited to mid-range flows and mixed greywater streams
- Lamella clarification - space-efficient solids separation for higher flow rates
- Ultrafiltration (UF) membrane systems -- consistently clean, low-turbidity output suitable for most reuse applications, across a wide flow range (50--1,000+ m³/day)
- Disinfection - UV and chemical dosing to meet microbial quality requirements for the intended reuse
Biological Treatment
- Biological pre-treatment for greywater with elevated organic load -- for example from laundry or food-adjacent sources
- Combined biological and membrane (MBR) systems - producing reuse-grade output for more demanding applications at mid to large scale
- Technology selection matched to incoming water quality, reuse standard, and system scale
- Designed for low operator intervention and reliable performance over the long term
Our Offering
We take a technology-agnostic approach - selecting the most appropriate solution for the project rather than fitting every job to a standard product. Our building services background means we understand how greywater systems integrate with the wider water infrastructure of a development, and we provide a full service from initial assessment through to long-term operation.
- Water quality assessment and flow analysis
- Technology selection and bespoke system design
- Technical drawings and project documentation
- Supply, installation, and commissioning
- Integration with wider building water and drainage systems
- Ongoing maintenance contracts and water quality monitoring
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