Ecolab Water & Energy Reuse Program for Healthcare and Commercial Laundries

Recover water and usable heat. Reduce discharge. Gain visibility into wash-floor performance through an integrated approach combining reuse and recovery technology, chemistry designed for reuse-water conditions, digital insights and Ecolab wash-process expertise.

Whether processing healthcare textiles, hospitality linen, uniforms, workwear or mixed customer loads, the program helps laundries evaluate reuse and recovery opportunities while maintaining visibility into the conditions that influence wash quality and operational performance.

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Reuse Only Adds Value When Quality and Productivity Are Maintained

Effective water and energy reuse requires visibility into the conditions that influence wash quality, throughput and operational performance. For healthcare laundries, hygienically clean outcomes and rewash management add another layer of focus. The Water & Energy Reuse program helps recover water and energy while providing the insights needed to support wash-floor performance.

Potential Benefits

Up to 50% water savings*
Up to 30% energy savings*
Visibility into water, sewer and energy performance*
Tracking against plant-specific baselines*

*Results vary by plant configuration and operating conditions.

Making Reuse Work Across the Wash Floor

Manage the Variables That Affect Reuse

The Water & Energy Reuse program brings the variables that affect reuse into one integrated program for proactive management, including:

Process, press and rinse water streams
Temperature conditions and heat-recovery opportunities
Lint, hair, sand and solids loading
Wash-quality factors, including whiteness, iron control, scale and rewash
Changes in textile mix and soil load
Flow, usage and performance drift

Ecolab sustainability process graphic illustrating how advanced technology, reuse chemistry, energy optimization, digital insights, and expert support work together to improve water and energy efficiency.

Circular Ecolab infographic featuring industrial processing equipment in the center surrounded by an infinity-shaped water and energy reuse loop. An outer circular ring identifies five connected elements: Advanced Technology, Reuse Chemistry, Energy, Ecolab Expertise, and Digital Insights, illustrating Ecolab’s integrated approach to water and energy optimization.

One Program. Four Connected Areas

Designed around each plant's unique conditions, the program can begin with targeted opportunities and grow across the wash floor as additional value is identified.

Advanced Technology
Recover process water and usable heat while helping manage solids and reuse-water quality across the wash floor.

Chemistry for Reuse Conditions
Manage changing reuse-water conditions with chemistry designed to support wash quality and consistency.

Digital Insights
Monitor water flow, usage and quality with digitally enabled insights that help identify drift earlier and support informed adjustments.

Ecolab Expertise
Leverage wash-process and application expertise to evaluate plant fit, guide setup, interpret data and help adjust the program as conditions change.

What the Program Helps You Accomplish

The Water & Energy Reuse program brings technology, chemistry, program insights and wash-process expertise into one coordinated program to help:

Recover water from process streams that would otherwise be discharged
Recover usable heat from wastewater or exhaust air
Manage reuse-water quality conditions to help deliver consistent wash performance and quality outcomes
Establish visibility and insights into water, sewer and energy performance against plant baseline
Help address water, energy or discharge constraints affecting plant operations or future growth

Technology Designed Around Reuse Performance

Ecolab brings together advanced technologies in water recovery, filtration and heat recovery to create a solution tailored to your laundry's unique reuse opportunities and performance objectives.

Download Tunnel Washer Schematic

Diagram of a tunnel washer water reuse system using Ecolab technologies to capture, treat, and recycle process water.

Process flow diagram illustrating a tunnel washer with pre-wash, main wash, rinse, and press sections. Connected Ecolab technologies, including Blue Ocean™, AquaMiser™, Energy Optimiser™, AquaBatch™, and AquaDrain™, recover, treat, and redistribute water throughout the washing process. Arrows show water recirculation pathways designed to increase water reuse and improve operational efficiency.

Technologies That Power Water & Energy Reuse

Blue Ocean™

Recover water for reuse across laundry operations, helping reduce energy use, discharge and freshwater demand.

See Details and Watch Video

AquaMiser™

Capture and reuse water streams to improve water utilization across the wash process.

Energy Optimiser™

Recover usable heat from wastewater and exhaust streams to help reduce energy consumption.

AquaBatch™ and AquaDrain™

Help remove lint, hair and solids that can affect reuse-water quality, wash quality and effluent quality.

See Details and Watch Video

Customer Results

Healthcare-Focused Laundry Serving Hospital Customers

A healthcare-focused laundry used the Water & Energy Reuse program to reduce wastewater discharge by 29%, helping alleviate discharge-related operating constraints while reducing water intensity and utility consumption. The project also helped create additional processing capacity within the existing operation.

Results included:

35% reduction in water intensity (gallons per pound processed)
29% reduction in wastewater discharge volume
Approximately $178,000 in annual water and energy savings
Additional operating capacity achieved through reduced discharge constraints

Results vary based on plant configuration, baseline and operating conditions.

Solutions for Every Part of Your Operation

Explore related programs, technologies, chemistry and services.

Get In Touch with Us

Contact Us

Interested in any of Ecolab's commercial laundry programs and products? Get in touch. Our solutions can help:

Ensure maximum cleanliness
Reduce water use and increase water recycling
Lower energy use and temperatures
Decrease alkali, chlorine and sulfuric acid Improve performance and quality
Increase hygiene standards
Optimize processes and operations

Please Give Us a Call

Are you interested in learning more about commercial laundry solutions? Contact us today at +1-800-553-8683.

Textile Care Division
1 Ecolab Place
St. Paul, MN 55102

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Thank you for your interest in our products and services!

Frequently Asked Questions About Water & Energy Reuse

How does Ecolab determine whether Water & Energy Reuse is a good fit for a laundry operation?

The program begins with a Total Plant Assessment where our experts evaluate water use, energy consumption, available recovery streams, wash-process conditions and operational objectives. The assessment helps identify where reuse and recovery opportunities may exist within a specific plant configuration.

How does the program address changing textile mixes and soil loads?

The program combines equipment, chemistry, monitoring and application expertise to provide visibility into changing process conditions. This integrated approach helps operators manage reuse performance as wash-floor conditions evolve.

How does water reuse fit into healthcare laundry operations?

The Water & Energy Reuse program helps provide visibility into reuse-water conditions and operational factors that can influence wash-process consistency, supporting efforts to deliver hygienically clean textiles while pursuing water and energy reduction opportunities.

What operational data does Water ReuseIQ™ provide?

Water ReuseIQ™ provides visibility into flow, usage and system-performance indicators, helping laundries monitor reuse-system performance over time. Depending on system configuration, users can track operational trends, identify performance drift, compare results against established baselines and gain insight into water, sewer and energy usage across the wash floor.

Can the program be used in mixed-customer laundry operations?

Yes. The program is designed for laundries processing healthcare textiles, hospitality linen, uniforms, workwear and mixed customer loads. It provides visibility into changing process conditions that can influence reuse performance across diverse textile classifications and customer requirements.