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Turning municipal wastewater into safe and reclaimed water with efficient HFNF + AOP technology (NanoX)
EU-regulation compliant Water Reuse and Micropollutant Control; Turning municipal wastewater into safe and reclaimed water with efficient HFNF + AOP technology (NanoX)
European wastewater treatment is now governed by two binding EU laws: the EU Reuse Regulation (EU 2020/741) and the revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD). Together they require utilities to deliver water that is both microbiologically safe for reuse and chemically clean from pharmaceuticals, hormones, PFAS and industrial pollutants, with a minimum micropollutant removal of 80%.
NX Filtration has demonstrated in three independent municipal WW pilots that its Hollow Fiber Nanofiltration (HFNF) combined with Advanced Oxidation (UV/AOP) exceeds these legal requirements. The systems consistently produced Class A reuse water while achieving more than 96% removal of regulated micropollutants, providing a single, compact treatment barrier that is fully aligned with Europe’s new wastewater legislation.
From wastewater to regulation-proof water, ready for reuse
Across Europe, wastewater treatment plants are facing a structural change. Under the revised UWWTD, thousands of plants will be required to install quaternary treatment between 2027 and 2035 to remove pharmaceuticals and other micropollutants, even when treated water is only discharged. At the same time, the EU Reuse Regulation sets strict limits for reclaimed water used in agriculture and other high-grade reuse applications.
This means utilities must now comply with two parallel obligations: produce water that is safe for people and the environment, and demonstrate that harmful trace chemicals are effectively removed. Conventional tertiary treatment alone is no longer sufficient to guarantee this.
NX Filtration evaluated an advanced polishing concept designed specifically for this new regulatory reality. In three municipal pilot installations, biologically treated wastewater was processed using Hollow Fiber Nanofiltration (HFNF) membranes followed by UV-based advanced oxidation (AOP). This creates a dual safety barrier: HFNF removes bacteria, viruses, suspended solids and a large share of organic matter, while UV/AOP efficiently destroys the last remaining pharmaceuticals and industrial chemicals. The HFNF membranes produce extremely clear water, with turbidity around 0.2 NTU, BOD close to 1 mg/L and UV transmission above 90%. This high optical clarity allows the UV/AOP step to operate efficiently, using low energy and limited oxidant while achieving very high micropollutant destruction.
Across all three pilots, the final water quality comfortably met the highest EU reuse class and exceeded the micropollutant removal requirement of the revised UWWTD. E. coli levels were reduced to approximately one colony per 100 millilitres or below, while BOD, COD, suspended solids and turbidity remained far below regulatory limits. Most importantly, the combined HFNF and AOP process achieved average micropollutant removal above 96%, well above the 80% legally required under European law.
A key benefit of this approach is its robustness. Even when biological treatment performance fluctuated, the HFNF + AOP polishing step consistently delivered stable, compliant water. This provides utilities with regulatory certainty in a period where compliance, environmental protection and public acceptance are becoming increasingly critical.
By combining Hollow Fiber Nanofiltration membranes with advanced oxidation, NX Filtration offers a future-proof quaternary treatment solution that directly supports both the EU Reuse Regulation and the revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive. It enables utilities to transform wastewater into safe, high-quality reclaimed water while meeting Europe’s most demanding water quality obligations.
NX Filtration has demonstrated in three independent municipal WW pilots that its Hollow Fiber Nanofiltration (HFNF) combined with Advanced Oxidation (UV/AOP) exceeds these legal requirements. The systems consistently produced Class A reuse water while achieving more than 96% removal of regulated micropollutants, providing a single, compact treatment barrier that is fully aligned with Europe’s new wastewater legislation.
From wastewater to regulation-proof water, ready for reuse
Across Europe, wastewater treatment plants are facing a structural change. Under the revised UWWTD, thousands of plants will be required to install quaternary treatment between 2027 and 2035 to remove pharmaceuticals and other micropollutants, even when treated water is only discharged. At the same time, the EU Reuse Regulation sets strict limits for reclaimed water used in agriculture and other high-grade reuse applications.
This means utilities must now comply with two parallel obligations: produce water that is safe for people and the environment, and demonstrate that harmful trace chemicals are effectively removed. Conventional tertiary treatment alone is no longer sufficient to guarantee this.
NX Filtration evaluated an advanced polishing concept designed specifically for this new regulatory reality. In three municipal pilot installations, biologically treated wastewater was processed using Hollow Fiber Nanofiltration (HFNF) membranes followed by UV-based advanced oxidation (AOP). This creates a dual safety barrier: HFNF removes bacteria, viruses, suspended solids and a large share of organic matter, while UV/AOP efficiently destroys the last remaining pharmaceuticals and industrial chemicals. The HFNF membranes produce extremely clear water, with turbidity around 0.2 NTU, BOD close to 1 mg/L and UV transmission above 90%. This high optical clarity allows the UV/AOP step to operate efficiently, using low energy and limited oxidant while achieving very high micropollutant destruction.
Across all three pilots, the final water quality comfortably met the highest EU reuse class and exceeded the micropollutant removal requirement of the revised UWWTD. E. coli levels were reduced to approximately one colony per 100 millilitres or below, while BOD, COD, suspended solids and turbidity remained far below regulatory limits. Most importantly, the combined HFNF and AOP process achieved average micropollutant removal above 96%, well above the 80% legally required under European law.
A key benefit of this approach is its robustness. Even when biological treatment performance fluctuated, the HFNF + AOP polishing step consistently delivered stable, compliant water. This provides utilities with regulatory certainty in a period where compliance, environmental protection and public acceptance are becoming increasingly critical.
By combining Hollow Fiber Nanofiltration membranes with advanced oxidation, NX Filtration offers a future-proof quaternary treatment solution that directly supports both the EU Reuse Regulation and the revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive. It enables utilities to transform wastewater into safe, high-quality reclaimed water while meeting Europe’s most demanding water quality obligations.
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