Water Reuse and Recycling

Proven decentralized reuse systems — designed, financed, and operated under Water-as-a-Service®

Water reuse is no longer optional. Seven Seas Water Group delivers water reuse through its Water-as-a-Service® (WaaS®) model, turning wastewater into a reliable, locally controlled supply — faster to deploy, flexibly financed, and operated for long-term performance.

Communities get reuse capacity faster — without taking on design risk, construction risk, or operational burden.

Water recycling can increase usable supply so dramatically that the United States Environmental Protection Agency refers to it as a water resource in its own right — often more reliable than traditional raw water sources.

Water reuse reduces dependence on constrained freshwater sources
Reuse-ready infrastructure supports growth without long lead times
Decentralized water reuse systems align capacity with real demand

Explore Water-as-a-Service®

See how reuse projects move forward without upfront capital.

Guaranteed Performance and Regulatory Compliance Under WaaS®

Seven Seas delivers complete reuse systems with contractual performance guarantees and full regulatory accountability. Under the WaaS® model, a single accountable partner retains responsibility for design, construction, operations, and compliance — eliminating the coordination and performance risk common in traditional reuse projects.

Seven Seas plants achieve a 98.7% availability rate, with payment tied directly to performance and compliance outcomes. WaaS®:

Removes traditional barriers to reuse projects
Offloads risk to Seven Seas by eliminating upfront cost
Keeps full-service design, construction, and O&M under one roof at a predictable monthly cost
Assumes all compliance responsibilities
Eliminates surprise repair costs

While WaaS® is the most comprehensive delivery model for reuse, Seven Seas also offers leasing options when flexibility or interim capacity is the priority.

Graphic Demonstrating Differences Between Centralized and Decentralized Reuse

Decentralized Versus Centralized Reuse Systems

Decentralized treatment, or siting appropriately scaled systems at the point of need, keeps water reuse local and lowers ongoing pumping and maintenance costs.

Centralized reuse projects often come with long permitting timelines, complex negotiations, high upfront capital requirements, and capacity that exceeds near-term demand while concentrating risk in a single location.

Decentralized capacity can be phased to match growth, allowing communities to deploy reuse faster, more accurately, and closer to the point of use. Capital exposure shrinks, resilience improves, cross-boundary complexity ends, and systems can expand in step with actual growth.

The Cost of Distributing Recycled Water

When water is treated for reuse at a central plant, how it’s delivered depends on the end use. If it’s treated to potable standards, it can be introduced into the drinking-water system through approved approaches. For nonpotable uses, it’s typically delivered through a separate reclaimed-water (“purple pipe”) network.

Distributing nonpotable recycled water from a central plant can be cost-prohibitive in many cases. It can require building reclaimed-water distribution piping that must meet separation and cross-connection control requirements, resulting in a large upfront expense.

Decentralized reuse changes that equation. Treating and reusing water closer to the point of demand can reduce or eliminate long runs of reclaimed-water conveyance. This is taking on more importance as some locales adopt rules that mandate or encourage use of “purple pipe” systems.

Who Uses Water Reuse Systems

Municipalities

Extend water supplies
Meet conservation and reuse mandates
Add capacity without expanding staff

Developers

Enable faster project approvals
Avoid oversized permanent infrastructure
Support phased development with reuse-ready systems

Utilities & Authorities

Add reuse capacity without long procurement cycles
Reduce discharge and supply risk

Water Reuse and Recycling FAQ

What is the difference between water reuse, water recycling, and water reclamation?

Water reuse, water recycling, and water reclamation are generally interchangeable terms. All describe the treatment of wastewater to a standard that allows it to be safely used again for purposes such as irrigation, industrial use, or potable supply, depending on regulatory approval and degree of treatment.

How quickly can a water reuse system be deployed?

Deployment timelines depend on a project’s scope and its delivery model, but modular and decentralized reuse systems can be delivered significantly faster than large centralized projects, often in months instead of years.

What technologies are used in water recycling systems?

Systems are tailored to deliver reliable, reuse-ready water while maintaining flexibility for future expansion. Core reuse technologies include:

Membrane bioreactor (MBR): Provides a compact, high-performance foundation for reuse systems, producing consistently high-quality effluent suitable for a wide range of nonpotable and potable applications.
Advanced filtration and disinfection: Integrated processes designed to meet reuse standards for pathogens and emerging contaminants.
Reverse osmosis: Used as a polishing step when applications require the highest water quality.
Smart monitoring and controls: Enable continuous performance oversight, proactive maintenance, and reliable long-term operation.

Can reuse systems be expanded later?

Seven Seas designs its modular reuse systems to expand over time by adding units to increase capacity as demand grows without rebuilding the entire system.

Is Water-as-a-Service® available for reuse projects?

Water-as-a-Service® is available for reuse projects and provides a fully managed option that includes design, construction, operations, maintenance, and long-term performance accountability.

Water Reuse Case Studies

The Leeward Estates residential, resort, and marina complex in Turks and Caicos integrated reuse with a successful wastewater treatment project. On a water-scarce island, the developers opted for a solution that produces potable water with reverse osmosis desalination and then treats wastewater to nonpotable standards. The complex reuses the resulting effluent for irrigation, creating a true full-water-cycle solution.

Read the case study.

Seawater Reverse Osmosis Treatment Plant

On Great Exuma, an island in the Bahamas, the Sandals resort takes a similar approach, desalinating seawater to provide drinking water for the resort, then treating and reusing its wastewater to irrigate its golf course. Sandals has repeatedly renewed its WaaS® agreement.