Transforming wastewater
Without water there is no life, and with only 1% of freshwater readily available and accessible, water resources are under increasing pressure as the demand for water grows in agriculture, energy, food, and health & hygiene. At Alfa Laval, we know that cleaning the world’s 380 billion cubic meters of wastewater takes centre stage in clean freshwater management and that the most sustainable way to preserve water is to imitate nature’s own circular use of water, which has sustained life on the planet since the beginning of time.
6.5 trillion – that’s the projected global investment gap for municipal water infrastructure by 2040, according to the World Economic Forum, underlining the growing risk to water system reliability. At the same time, global water demand has risen sixfold over the past century and continues to accelerate.
Today, 4 billion people experience water scarcity, 3.4 billion lack safely managed sanitation and over 2.1 billion do not have access to safe drinking water. Current agricultural practices are also insufficient to meet the food demands of a growing global population by 2050. Addressing these challenges will require more than USD 1 trillion in annual investment, according to the World Bank.
Following the Global Water Summit 2026 in Madrid, one message is clear: business as usual is no longer viable. Accelerating the adoption of innovative water and wastewater solutions is critical to strengthen resilience and support growing urban communities.
The technologies exist. Now it’s time to scale implementation.
Hear Alfa Laval experts share their key takeaways.
Towards an energy-neutral resource-recovery plant
The energy-neutral plant
Wastewater treatment is a very energy-intensive operation, and according to the UN, the world’s municipal wastewater treatment plants use 4% of available energy. Greenhouse gases are emitted from this energy usage and from the processing itself; e.g., where methane is emitted during sludge-handling. At Alfa Laval, we know that by applying the most energy-efficient solutions, municipalities can optimize their energy consumption. There is also ample opportunity to recover heat from multiple process steps as an energy source. And methane can be recovered and used for energy generation, while the installations can also present an opportunity to incorporate hydropower.
Wastewater treatment plant increases energy efficiency
A sharp focus on energy efficiency was central to the Hong Kong Drainage Service Department’s decision to upgrade its decanter centrifuge technology at the Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works; it was key in its selection of Alfa Laval’s ALDEC G3 VecFlow™ to achieve this aim.
Sludge handling efficiency at Ruhrverband plant
The Arnsberg-Wildshausen wastewater treatment plant recently replaced an outdated drum thickener with a containerized AS-H Belt Thickener from Alfa Laval. This advanced sludge dewatering solution meets all the plant’s requirements in terms of capacity, reliability and performance. It is also simple to operate, requires minimum maintenance, and polymer consumption is low.
Sludge – from waste to resource
Sludge was once considered a costly waste product, which municipalities with space constraints would struggle to dispose of in a cost-efficient and environmentally sound way. At Alfa Laval, we enable the recovery of resources from sludge, such as phosphorous, which can positively impact the price of clean freshwater. Our municipal wastewater solutions enable the best dewatering and cake dryness, which will optimize the disposal of the final cake with respect to cost and energy consumption.
Join our virtual wastewater treatment event
Renew and future‑proof your municipal wastewater treatment systems with Alfa Laval’s industry‑leading technologies. With more than 70 years of experience in wastewater treatment solutions, Alfa Laval helps municipalities improve sludge dewatering efficiency, operational reliability, and regulatory compliance while reducing lifecycle costs. Discover how advanced solid–liquid separation technologies and proven process optimization strategies can help wastewater treatment plants meet tighter environmental regulations and growing capacity demands.
Sign up for our event on 9 June 2026 to gain expert insights and make confident, future‑ready investment decisions for your facility.
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