Hydraloop, a decentralized greywater recycling system, allows households to cut water consumption and wastewater emissions by up to 45 percent, respectively. At a time when soaring temperatures are wreaking havoc around the world, causing water scarcity and drought, the availability of this award-winning water treatment solution could not be more timely.

Arthur Valkieser and Sabine Stuiver, the Dutch couple behind Hydraloop, are on a mission to solve the world’s growing water crisis. In 2015, the two serial entrepreneurs came out of retirement to develop their consumer-friendly, decentralized home water treatment system. Hydraloop was among the five winners of the first WIPO Global Awards for SMEs announced earlier this summer. Valkieser and Stuiver believe that winning the WIPO Award is an important boost in helping them deploy their ingenious water treatment solution globally.

What prompted you to get into water recycling and to set up Hydraloop?

Stuiver: Our planet has a finite freshwater resource. Climate change is causing severe drought and water stress is a challenge in many countries, including in Europe. Estimates suggest that by 2030, up to 700 million people could be displaced worldwide due to water scarcity. Yet, we still use fresh water to flush toilets, wash clothes and water our gardens. It just doesn’t make sense. So, when Arthur came up with the idea of a decentralized greywater recycling system, we felt we had an obligation to act on it; so we pulled ourselves out of retirement in the South of France and returned to the Netherlands to start building the technology and the company.

Valkieser: By 2050, we will have 2 billion more people on the planet and we will need 55 percent more water than we are using today, so I just couldn’t ignore the idea. I just had to do something with it. The current water crisis is a wake-up call for those of us who ignored all the warnings of increasing water scarcity, but the good news is that we can help solve it ourselves by using water twice.

Did you have a background in water engineering?

Valkieser: Not at all. I ran a big media company in the Netherlands. But in many ways, that was an advantage because I had no pre-conceived ideas. I wasn’t constrained by any formal training. I knew what I wanted to achieve and basically worked everything out through trial and error. There were many challenges, but I learned that a problem is actually a gift, because when you solve it, you improve what you are doing.

The Hydraloop units look very sleek and attractive. What prompted this design approach?

Stuiver: We are focusing on the huge number of people who are willing to contribute to a more sustainable planet, so we recognized that our solution had to be consumer friendly with no compromise on comfort or hygiene. We were clear that our product needed to be compact, low-maintenance, and needed to look good, because design is everything.

Valkieser: We really stand out because of our design, but also because our system treats greywater (from showers, washing machines, air conditioners, etc.) without the use of filters, membranes or chemicals. Our patented technology treats and cleans wastewater to the highest international standards, but without using filters that can clog up and need a lot of expensive maintenance.