The water industry faces major sustainability challenges. As well as limiting the impacts of climate change – for example, by reducing chemicals in the environment and closing nitrogen cycles – increased urbanisation is creating a rising demand for water treatment.
Many countries are committed to solving these challenges. In the Netherlands, we aim to create a circular economy for the water industry by 2050, and use 50% fewer primary raw materials in the expansion of water treatment by 2030.
To help government, industry, utilities, and drinking water companies reach these targets, Royal HaskoningDHV is at the forefront of a new era in water treatment engineering: circular design. Beyond our borders, we’re working closely with water utilities worldwide to help them achieve their sustainability goals.
Circular design is an iterative process that never ends. It aims to eliminate waste and pollution by creating products that can be used for as long as possible.
By bringing a circular approach to the design, build, and ongoing operations of water treatment plants, we can use more secondary or biobased materials and extend the technical lifespans of plants, while using less energy and fewer chemicals.
As part of our circular design and build services, we deliver feasibility studies, circularity monitoring, detailed engineering designs, and construction supervision. With these services, we’re helping water companies create sustainable water treatment solutions through an approach to circular water management.
Deep knowledge and expertise in circular wastewater management
Our extensive civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering teams can solve your most complex challenges through integrated circular solutions. These include parametric design tools and our own Circular Barometer, which helps you select the most circular design/build solution and monitors your ongoing energy consumption and materials use.
As specialists in water management engineering, we focus on circular principles: multiple cycles, resource conservation, and circular supplies. Our engineers use tried-and-tested circular working methodologies and help you build a new plant – or retrofit your existing installation – so it’s fit for the circular economy.
To date, water treatment plants have been built using reinforced concrete, steel, stone, wood, and plastic. Our teams have the materials knowledge to design plants using new, low-CO2 alternatives including reusable cement, biocomposite, and sedum roofs – to maximise your installation’s lifespan while using fewer materials and chemicals, and less energy.
Our expertise in circular design is built on 140 years of water engineering heritage. We’ve developed our water chain asset portfolio – pumping stations, pressure pipes, drinking water installations, and water treatment plants – since the 1960s. We draw on this knowledge and experience to help water boards achieve their sustainability goals.
Contact our Water Technology experts!