Could water reuse in the form of decentralized water treatment reduce the need for water storage? It could be if the technology from Hydraloop becomes mainstream. With a 4 to 7-year payback, and low-maintenance costs, treatment on a per-building basis means less treatment at centralized plants and reduced water use.

In the above video interview, Fernando Ramirez argues that distributed treatment should be part of the infrastructure rebuild conversation.  The current sweet spot for their technology in new builds. It also might make sense to add decentralized water treatment in those cases where old piping needs replacing because it is a health hazard (think Flint, Michigan).

Another potential economic value is obviating the need for more water storage in the form of dams. For instance, it might be a better value to install water treatment and the associated pipes than build a new dam. Conceivably, the process of installing distributed water treatment would be much faster with less environmental impact than building a dam. Whether that concept holds water is an analysis for a smart economist.

In the meantime, the Netherlands-based Hydraloop will continue its rollout that has just begun in the United States but already numbers in the hundreds worldwide.