Microbial Safety Checks: The Key To Unlocking Europe's Direct Potable Reuse Revolution?

• Europe's first direct potable reuse scheme from municipal wastewater is supplying 12,000 people in Belgium today and is doubling its capacity to 800 million litres a year by end of 2026
• bNovate's BactoSense provides continuous real-time microbiological monitoring at the Hofstade Water Production Centre, giving operators 24/7 certainty that the water entering the network is safe to drink
• For a facility producing 50,000 litres of drinking water per hour, a three-day testing blind spot is not an option. BactoSense delivers results in 20 minutes

Near-real-time microbial monitoring data supplied by Swiss-based bNovate Technologies is ensuring Europe’s first direct potable reuse (DPR) scheme meets strict regulations as the continent faces growing pressure on freshwater supplies.

The Water Production Centre (WPC) in Hofstade is the continent’s first direct potable reuse (DPR) project using municipal wastewater, producing around 400 million litres of drinking water per year, supplying approximately 12,000 people. By the end of 2026, the plant’s production capacity will double to 800 million litres a year.

The project has been developed by Waterunie, a utility joint venture involving Farys and De Watergroep, in collaboration with Belgian water specialist Nuoro, Aquafin and the CAPTURE research platform. In 2025, the project was awarded the Water Reuse Europe – Innovation Prize, which rewards initiatives that demonstrate excellence in addressing current/future water supply challenges through water reuse.

DPR is increasingly viewed as a strategy to drive urban resilience, cost efficiency and sustainable development. In 2024, the global market for water reuse was valued at €15B and is projected to reach €26B by 2030, according to a recent report by the International Desalination and Reuse Association (IDRA)^*.

Across the EU, over 86% of wastewater has treatment coverage, with DPR expansion being seen as a way for the continent to expand its climate resilience strategy.

Direct potable reuse demands continuous, near-real-time assurance of water quality – something that conventional microbiological testing methods are not designed to provide. BactoSense meets that requirement by continually monitoring microbial cell counts and integrating with SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) systems to alert operators to any abnormal changes. BactoSense reduces testing time from as much as three days, using traditional laboratory testing, to as little as 20 minutes.

BactoSense addresses the three main confidence barriers to DPR adoption: public; regulatory, and operational. While membrane filtration, activated carbon filtration, and disinfection systems clean the water, when used as the final stage of the DPR process, bNovate’s BactoSense monitors the treated water in near-real time, providing fast and accurate insights into changes in water quality.

Bart de Gusseme, senior expert, Innovation Water at FARYS, said: “BactoSense technology serves as a valuable parameter in our SCADA system. If it detects abnormal changes to microbial levels in the water output, it is programmed to automatically stop the plant. Not only does this help us to safeguard the outgoing water quality, but it also fosters confidence in potable reuse as a safe drinking water source.”

Serge Gander, CEO of bNovate Technologies, said: “DPR is no longer a pilot project. It is the future of water supply for water-stressed regions, and Europe is waking up to that fast.”

He added: “The IDRA's 2026 report makes clear that real-time monitoring is not optional; it is the foundation that makes the whole thing work. We have proven that at Hofstade. One bad surprise in a DPR scheme does not just damage operations; it can set back public and regulatory confidence for years. That is why continuous microbial monitoring is a must-have. You cannot scale reuse if you cannot measure the water quality from your treatment plant and, at the same time, create trust. That is what we do, and that is what the industry needs to understand.”

About bNovate Technologies
bNovate Technologies is a Swiss technology company specialising in real-time microbiological water monitoring. The company enables water professionals, industrial operators, and researchers worldwide to gain immediate, actionable insight into microbial water quality — replacing delayed manual laboratory results with continuous, reliable online data. The company has featured/published more than 70 peer-reviewed papers, and is a World Economic Forum Uplink Top 10 Innovator.

About FARYS
FARYS is a Ghent-based Belgian multi-utility company providing drinking water to over one million people and managing wastewater infrastructure for municipalities. Operating for over 100 years, it also manages sports infrastructure, including over 100 swimming pools and sports facilities, focusing on sustainability and smart water technology

^*IDRA report: ‘A Pathway to Potable Reuse: A Global Status Update and Strategic Outlook’: https://idrawater.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IDRA-Factsheet-A-Pathway-to-Potable-Reuse.pdf

European regulations on water reuse also entered into force in June 2023, initially focusing on agricultural reuse but also providing a foundation for potable reuse.

More information on the Water Reuse Europe – Innovation Prize can be found here: https://www.water-reuse-europe.org/water-reuse-europe-innovation-prize-2025-and-the-winner-is