Atlanta, Ga. (May 3, 2023) – An eco-engineered wastewater reclamation and reuse system is now operational at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital. The facility known as the WaterHub^(sm) is projected to help Piedmont Atlanta reclaim up to 250,000 gallons of wastewater per day from the hospital and turn it into water that can be used in the hospital’s cooling towers and boiler systems.

Over the next decade, this wastewater reclamation could save up to 750 million gallons of potable, or drinking-quality, water that would have otherwise been drawn from regional water resources. This water will not be used for the hospital’s drinking water supply. For that use, the hospital will continue to receive water from the City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management, as it always has.

“Consistent with our mission as a nonprofit to serve our community, we see this project as a positive step in being a conscientious steward of the resources entrusted to us and one that will benefit the entire community,” said Patrick M. Battey, M.D., chief executive officer of Piedmont Atlanta.

The WaterHub^(sm) is designed to reduce the impact of the 643-bed hospital on the public water and sewer infrastructure in Atlanta. It will also help ensure normal hospital operations can continue in the event of any disruption to the public water supply.

The WaterHub^(sm) works by using biological treatment and advanced filtration technology to naturally break down organic matter in wastewater, enabling its use for non-potable, or non-drinking, purposes. It is specifically designed to suppress odors that are typical in wastewater treatment.

“Water is a valuable resource and the WaterHub^(sm) treats it as such,” said Matt Ulman, vice president of Distributed Generation for NextEra Energy Resources, a Piedmont partner on this project. “Our innovative technology allows businesses to improve operations and the bottom line by minimizing its environmental footprint, improving operational resiliency and reducing the need for potable water by millions of gallons annually.”   

The different components that make up the WaterHub^(sm) are housed in a new structure along Collier Road on the northwest side of the Piedmont Atlanta campus. Construction began in September 2021.