Ultrafacility 2025 Roundtable Summary: Enabling Growth Through On-Site Water Reclamation and Reuse

At Ultrafacility 2025, Bob Salvatelli of H2O Innovation hosted a roundtable titled “Enabling Growth Through On-Site Water Reclamation and Reuse.” Looking at alternative project delivery models and on-site water reuse strategies that can support industrial growth in an increasingly constrained water environment.

Salvatelli provided an overview of how the discussion unfolded.

What was the focus of the roundtable discussion?

The roundtable introduced the concept of turnkey project delivery using a Water Processing Agreement, highlighting it as a potential way to accelerate end-of-pipe water reuse projects. The discussion emphasized the importance of exploring non-traditional delivery models as the water reuse market continues to expand and project timelines become more compressed.

A key point of discussion was awareness of financing and delivery options. Many attendees indicated they were unfamiliar with third-party funding models for on-site water reuse projects. Turnkey delivery without external funding was also discussed as a viable option, depending on owner preferences.

How does the Water Processing Agreement work?

In the model discussed, a service provider would own and operate the treatment plant under a service-style contract, with the client entering into a lease arrangement for the asset and paying for treated water. A key distinction emphasised was that this approach is primarily suited to end of pipe and non-process reuse, where risk profiles are lower. Outsourcing ultrapure water treatment and reuse was widely viewed as significantly higher risk and outside the core scope of this model.

One exception discussed with end users was in cases where municipal systems lack the capability to treat complex source water independently. In such situations, there may be potential to use a water processing agreement to provide treated source water in collaboration with local municipalities.

What were some interesting points raised by attendees?

The roundtable also explored the wider value proposition of water reuse infrastructure. Participants discussed the idea of building more visible, “showpiece” water treatment facilities that allow companies to demonstrate sustainability leadership. End users noted that these investments could play a role in supporting ESG narratives and may even help with employee recruitment, as sustainability initiatives become increasingly important to the workforce.

Salvatelli noted strong engagement throughout the session, with attendees expressing interest in continuing to explore these concepts. There was broad agreement that alternative delivery models and on-site water reclamation and reuse strategies are likely to become a strategic imperative for the industry by 2026.

This was one of many insightful technical roundtable discussions at the conference. For further perspectives, see this session hosted by Air Liquide Electronics US; Ultrafacility 2025 Roundtable Summary: Design Considerations for High Purity Chemical Distribution Systems | Insights | UltraFacility