A ‘Surprisingly Good’ Beer Made With Wastewater 

Xylem, a water technology company, has developed a Bavarian-style beer made in Germany. This isn’t an ordinary brew — this eco-friendly beer is brewed using wastewater.

The “Reuse Brew” is designed to showcase the latest in water recycling tech, according to the company, and is a collaboration among Xylem, the chair of Brewery and Beverage Technology at Technical University of Munich (TUM), the Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering at TUM, and the city of Weissenburg in Bavaria.

The wastewater is first treated for solid waste, then filtered to remove trace substances that can come from pesticides, cosmetics and other products used by humans, Yahoo! News reported.

“The source of water should not determine its value, but rather its safety and quality,” Jörg E. Drewes, professor at TUM, said in a statement. “Our collaboration with Xylem on the Reuse Brew project underscores the practicality of converting wastewater into safe drinking water with existing technologies.”

In more complex terms, the water is treated using ozonation and oxidation via ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and hydrogen peroxide. For even better quality, the beer also goes through advanced filtration, including nanofiltration, and purification methods to remove any contaminants from the wastewater. As explained by Xylem, the oxidation processes and adsorption help remove contaminants such as chemicals and microbes, leaving behind clean water for beer production. 

The company collaborated with Weissenburg to use its wastewater treatment plant to source treated wastewater for the Reuse Brew. The city’s wastewater plant uses ozonation technology from Xylem to remove micropollutants in sewer water.

“Reuse Brew is not merely an exceptional beer; it exemplifies the vast capabilities of water recycling in combating the pressing issue of water scarcity,” Roxana Marin-Simen de Redaelli, vice president of Central Europe and Nordics at Xylem, said in a statement. “This project is a beacon of modern, sustainable wastewater recycling technologies and underscores the importance of utilizing local resources to mitigate groundwater pressure and ensure supply security during periods of drought.”

According to Montana State University, which was not involved in the project, producing one gallon of beer at best requires two gallons of water, but many breweries may require four to eight gallons of water to produce one gallon of beer.

By using highly treated wastewater, brewers can reduce the amount of freshwater they need to draw to produce beer. While the Reuse Brew isn’t for sale, the public was invited to sample the beer last week and were pleased with the results.

“It should be said — it’s surprisingly good,” said attendee Sebastian Beck, as reported by Yahoo! News. “Because you’re doing something for the environment, we’re reusing water and I don’t notice any difference to a normal beer. It’s really good.”