Encounters that make a difference – At the Grand Opening of Helsingborg Innovation District in May 2024, a business developer and an entrepreneur encountered each other and the conversation resulted in a new partnership. The two actors are merging their business models to develop a new innovative and sustainable solution to reuse bath and dishwater at the property level.
In recent years, Helsingborg has made a name for itself in the field of water globally. Delegations from the USA and the Netherlands, among others, have visited the facilities of RecoLab to learn more about the innovative source-separating sewage system, also known as ‘three pipes out’, in the Oceanhamnen. The Bill Gates Foundation is only one of the organizations who has shown an interest in the system.
– Helsingborg showed great courage by building ‘three pipes out’. Now the facility is very significant, not least as a reference for all of us working circularly with water, says Göran Larsson, Business developer at the vacuum system company Jets.
In May 2024, he participated along with many others at the Grand Opening of Helsingborg Innovation District, where the idea for a new collaboration was born.
– It’s an incredibly cool forum to participate in. There is a sense of creativity and a positive spirit here, says Göran Larsson.
Now the startup company Circular Water is teaming up with Jets to take the concept a step further by developing water recycling of bath, dish, and laundry water, so-called greywater, at a property level. Currently, many water treatment plants in Sweden are overloaded. Local decentralized water treatment systems can radically reduce this pressure.
– With a greywater solution for properties, only blackwater from toilets and a small amount of greywater will be sent to the treatment plant. This way, a treatment plant could cover a larger number of buildings, says Göran Larsson.
– By recirculating greywater, combined with vacuum toilets that only need 0.6 liters per flush, a property can save more than 100 liters of water per person per day compared to the average today, says Helena Eriksson, founder of Circular Water.
The greywater is heated and can be used to heat water or produce electricity for the property. Decentralized water treatment also brings other advantages. The permitting process for traditional centralized systems often takes up to seven years, compared to an estimated permitting process of only two to eight months for decentralized water systems. Construction projects could thus start faster when fewer permits are needed and fewer pipes are laid.
– With the help of mobile treatment plants, neighborhoods could be built and used without or until the pipes are laid, says Helena Eriksson.
The concept is now being validated, and there is interest from Gotland, where groundwater availability is a constant challenge.
What does Helsingborg and RecoLab mean for you in the business world working with water issues?
– The public water and sewage industry is generally very conservative. Helsingborg’s investment in water is crucial for something new to happen in Sweden, says Göran Larsson.
– I agree. Many research institutes have incredibly good specialist competence, but at the same time, they are profit-driven companies. RecoLab is a neutral party, without its own product development. This means we avoid silo thinking, and it is very significant,” says Helena Eriksson.
