The Coming Water Reuse Boom: Why Ozone Must Anchor Next-Generation Treatment Trains

As demand for sustainable water supply strategies accelerates, water reuse is transitioning from an experimental concept to a national priority. A new 2025 forecast estimates that $47.1 billion will be invested in municipal water reuse infrastructure across the U.S. over the next decade [Bluefield Research, 2025].

This investment surge reflects several intersecting forces:

• Declining freshwater availability due to climate variability and drought
• Rising demand from population growth and industrial expansion
• Increasing pressure to reduce effluent discharge and adopt circular water strategies
• Tightening public health regulations targeting emerging contaminants and residual risk

As water reuse projects multiply, engineers and utilities face a critical design question: What treatment processes can reliably manage complex, variable water qualities, while meeting evolving regulatory and operational constraints?

The answer increasingly points to ozone and ozone-based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). At Pinnacle Ozone Solutions, we believe ozone should be at the core of next-generation reuse systems, for technical, operational, and environmental reasons.

Understanding the Challenge: What Reuse Systems Must Treat

Water reuse systems, whether indirect potable reuse (IPR), non-potable recycling, or industrial repurposing, typically draw from secondary effluent or tertiary-treated wastewater. These waters contain a challenging mix of contaminants:

 

Many of these constituents are refractory, not well removed by conventional treatment processes like chlorination, filtration, or activated sludge.

Ozone and AOP: A Multi-Function Engineered Solution

Ozone (O₃) is a triatomic form of oxygen with a high oxidation potential (2.07 V). When applied to water, ozone reacts with a wide range of contaminants through:

1. Direct oxidation — reacting with electron-rich sites (e.g., aromatic rings, double bonds)
2. Indirect oxidation — forming hydroxyl radicals (·OH) via reaction with hydrogen peroxide or under specific pH and alkalinity conditions

This dual mode enables ozone to:

• Disinfect pathogens with high CT efficiency (faster than chlorine or UV)
• Oxidize organic carbon, improving UV transmittance and reducing DBP precursors
• Break down micropollutants such as carbamazepine, sulfamethoxazole, estradiol
• Convert ammonia and nitrite to nitrate or nitrogen gas
• Eliminate color and odor-causing compounds, improving aesthetic quality

In AOP configurations (O₃ + H₂O₂ or O₃ + UV), oxidation potential increases to ~2.8 V via hydroxyl radical production, enabling destruction of highly persistent compounds.

Performance Benchmarks: Ozone in Reuse Applications

Field and pilot studies consistently demonstrate ozone’s efficacy in reuse treatment:

Sources: von Gunten (2003), Snyder et al. (2007), WRF #4767, Pinnacle field data (2021–2024)

Engineering Considerations for Reuse System Integration

Designing ozone for reuse treatment requires precision engineering:

1. Mass Transfer and Contact Time

• Pinnacle systems use pressurized injection and contactors designed to achieve >95% mass transfer efficiency
• Typical CT values (mg·min/L) are calculated based on temperature, pH, and target pathogen/inactivation goals

2. Instrumentation and Control

• Integrated ORP, dissolved ozone, UVT, and flow sensors
• Automated dosing based on influent quality and process feedback
• Safety interlocks to prevent overdosing or residual breakthrough

3. Materials and Construction

• Corrosion-resistant materials: 316L SS, PTFE, PVDF
• Seals and valves rated for ozone (Viton, Kalrez)
• Gas-tight piping, destruct units for off-gas

4. Modular Architecture

• Pinnacle’s QuadBlock® ozone generators scale from <1 lb/day to >500 lb/day
• Skid-mounted systems enable rapid deployment and plug-in integration
• Designed for retrofit or greenfield implementation

5. AOP Compatibility

• Optional integration with H₂O₂ dosing or UV reactors for enhanced oxidation
• Flexible switching between ozone-only and AOP mode based on contaminant profile 

Use Case Snapshot: Ozone for IPR Pretreatment (20 MGD Facility)

Challenge: Remove color, taste/odor, trace organics, and pathogens in tertiary effluent prior to BAC and UV polishing.

Pinnacle System:

• 30 lb/day ozone generation
• Dual-stage pressurized injection
• Online ORP, ozone residual, and UVT monitoring
• O₃ + H₂O₂ AOP mode during seasonal pharmaceutical spikes

Results:

• UVT improved from 74% → 88%
• Geosmin/MIB below detection
• TOC reduced by 65%
• No ozone residual downstream of BAC
• Compliance with IPR microbial and chemical targets

Conclusion

The projected $47.1 billion investment in U.S. water reuse is not just a policy trend; it reflects a technical shift toward higher performance, lower impact, and more adaptive treatment strategies.

Ozone-based oxidation offers the rare combination of:

• Broad-spectrum contaminant control
• High-efficiency pathogen disinfection
• Residual-free, sustainable treatment
• Scalable, compact, and automation-ready systems

At Pinnacle Ozone Solutions, we design systems engineered specifically for the next generation of reuse. Whether you’re planning non-potable, indirect potable, or industrial water recycling, our ozone and AOP platforms deliver treatment confidence, with the data to back it up.

 

---

 

Technical References

• Bluefield Research (2025). U.S. Water Reuse Infrastructure Market Outlook.
• von Gunten, U. (2003). Oxidation Reactions of Ozone in Water Treatment. Water Research.
• Snyder, S. et al. (2007). Ozone for Trace Organics in Potable Reuse. WRF.
• Langlais, Reckhow & Brink (1991). Ozone in Water Treatment: Engineering Applications.
• Pinnacle Project Logs (2021–2024). Advanced Oxidation for Reuse Facilities.