Cycleau, developed by Noemi Florea, is a compact water-treatment system designed to convert household wastewater into reusable water, addressing urban water challenges and infrastructure strains.
What if the wastewater flowing down your household sink could be captured, treated, and reused instead of being sent directly into the sewage system? This innovative concept is at the heart of Cycleau, a compact water-treatment system created by American engineer and designer Noemi Florea. Cycleau aims to tackle issues of water contamination, shortages, and the increasing pressure on aging urban infrastructure.
In 2023, at the age of 23, Florea designed Cycleau as a compact graywater treatment system measuring approximately 24 by 36 inches. The device connects seamlessly to a building’s drain pipe and water supply lines, functioning as a dual-purpose system. Florea’s initiative was inspired by the pressing water challenges faced by cities like Flint, Newark, and Baltimore, as well as the contamination issues surrounding Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal. Additionally, overloaded wastewater networks in older cities often lead to sewage discharges into nearby waterways. According to MIT Solve, Cycleau represents an effort to decentralize water treatment by integrating part of the process directly into buildings.
The system is designed to fit beneath sinks, showers, and laundry units, connecting to existing plumbing to capture graywater—wastewater generated from activities such as washing and bathing, excluding toilet waste. Instead of directing all wastewater into a central sewer network, Cycleau diverts a portion for treatment and potential reuse.
UNICEF estimates that the system can recycle approximately 20 percent of graywater, treating it for potential drinking-water use. This innovative approach could significantly reduce the volume of wastewater entering sewage systems. Cycleau employs a filtration process that uses drainage gravel, activated carbon, and fine sand to effectively remove contaminants and pathogens.
Affordability and accessibility are key aspects of Cycleau’s design. Each unit is projected to cost less than $500, making it suitable for installation in homes, schools, and healthcare facilities, including those in remote areas.
Florea’s groundbreaking work earned her recognition as a young innovator under UNICEF Innovation30: Young Innovators Shaping the Future in 2023. Initially, MIT indicated that Cycleau was still a prototype requiring further evaluation, advising volunteers against consuming the treated water. However, in 2024, the technology was piloted in Tajikistan in collaboration with UNICEF. The organization reported that the compact treatment system could reduce the total water footprint by up to 80 percent, and the project is now evolving beyond its original concept.
A recent water research article explored various methods for treating household graywater locally, utilizing systems such as membrane bioreactors (MBRs) and moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBRs). The study concluded that combining these treatment methods with ultraviolet treatment or electrochemical disinfection can effectively treat graywater, although each method presents its own advantages and limitations.
The broad deployment of systems like Cycleau has the potential to conserve substantial amounts of water while decreasing reliance on bottled water and the associated plastic waste.
Florea is also the founder of [LÆRO], a multidisciplinary design studio established in 2022. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Integrated Design and Sustainable Cities from Parsons School of Design, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies and Economics from The New School in New York.
As urban areas continue to grapple with water scarcity and infrastructure challenges, innovations like Cycleau could play a crucial role in creating sustainable solutions for water management.
According to UNICEF, the impact of such technologies could be transformative in addressing global water issues.