In the US, Devil's Canyon Brewery has partnered with San Francisco-based water treatment company Epic Cleantec to introduce Epic OneWater Brew. The water used to brew the beer comes from recycled wastewater from a 40-story high-rise apartment building in San Francisco.

The beer is currently not for sale due to regulations prohibiting the use of recycled wastewater in commercial beverages, with the company producing just 7,000 cans.

In Germany, Reuse Brew is a beer made from recycled wastewater, the result of a collaboration between German researchers and an American technology company. The treated wastewater is clean and fresh, and can be used for drinking and beer. Reuse Brew is not yet widely available, but was well received when tasted at a trade fair in Munich, Germany in May.

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Beer made with recycled water from wastewater. Photo: ABC

Or in Singapore, NewBrew is the name of a beer made from treated wastewater. The product is a collaboration between the National Water Supply Board of Singapore (PUB) and Brewerkz. The new beer is part of an effort to educate Singaporeans about the importance of recycling and using water sustainably.

Other companies include the Village Brewery in Canada, which has partnered with researchers from the University of Calgary and water technology company Xylem to produce beer from recycled wastewater. Or Nya Carnegie (Sweden), which has partnered with the Carlsberg Group and the Swedish Environmental Research Institute IVL, to introduce a beer brewed from treated wastewater.

How does wastewater treatment work?

Wastewater from homes, other than toilets, is called greywater. It contains dirt and chemicals, but can still be treated to make drinking water. This not only reduces household water bills, but also helps address global water shortages and droughts caused by climate change.

Epic Cleantec and Devil's Canyon Brewery installed a water treatment unit in the basement of a 40-story apartment building in San Francisco. The unit collects approximately 34 cubic meters of wastewater per day in the building, undergoes advanced treatment, and then turns it into clean water. Epic Cleantec's water recycling system is capable of recycling up to 95% of wastewater, from toilets, sinks, washing machines, bathtubs, etc.

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Wastewater treatment system. Photo: CNBC

Buildings globally use 14% of all potable water, says Aaron Tartakovsky, CEO and co-founder of Epic Cleantec. But virtually none of them reuse that water. That’s something they’re trying to change.

First, the wastewater is biologically treated, then filtered through microscopic membranes, each 1/1,000th the diameter of a human hair. Finally, it is disinfected with ultraviolet light and chlorine. This system produces water that is safe for reuse.

Similarly, the wastewater from Reuse Brew is treated through mechanical, biological and chemical processes. The end result is clean, fresh water that can be used for drinking. Advanced technology has helped to use water economically and efficiently.

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Treated wastewater can be drunk. Photo: CNBC

Wastewater recyclers say the neutral taste of the water makes it perfect for brewing beer. Chris Garrett, owner of Devil's Canyon Brewery, says the taste exceeds all expectations. Some of his friends who tried it couldn't tell it from any other beer.

According to a Stanford University study, recycled wastewater is drinkable and less toxic than other tap water sources due to more rigorous treatment.

Although not yet widely commercialized due to regulations from local authorities, the idea of ​​turning wastewater into drinking water is supported, especially meaningful in the context of increasingly strained global freshwater supplies.

(According to CNN, USToday)