Water recycling within bioresources hubs could play a key role in reducing regional water stresses and delivering a circular water economy which respects our planetary boundaries. Waterwhelm are winners of both the Ofwat Water Discovery Challenge (2024) and the Ofwat Innovation Breakthrough - Catalyst Challenge (2025) led by Northumbrian Water and have developed an innovative technology which can recover potable-grade water from treated wastewater for reuse in all applications onsite. This process can be driven using waste heat from biogas CHPs and so offers clear synergies with resources and challenges facing the water sector.

To support Waterwhelm's Discovery Challenge award, AtkinsRealis explored the feasibility for the deployment of this technology at bioresources hubs across the UK. This involved engagement with utilities regarding water consumption and waste heat for 34 bioresources centres, coupled with process modelling for heat integration.

This study indicated that most sites could "close the water loop" and achieve water neutrality with this technology, and its implementation at just these 34 facilities could reduce potable water usage by over 1 million m3/year. Insights from this work provide a clear pathway to a water neutral bioresource sector and could have widespread implications for the role of water recycling in the circular economy of the future.