By Rajwa Quasim
What if wastewater flowing down a household sink could be captured, treated and reused instead of immediately entering the sewage system? That is the idea behind Cycleau, a compact water-treatment system developed by American engineer and designer Noemi Florea to address water contamination, shortages and growing pressure on aging urban infrastructure.
In 2023, Florea, then 23, designed a compact graywater treatment system measuring roughly 24 by 36 inches. The device connects to a building’s drain pipe and water supply lines, allowing it to serve as a dual-purpose system. Florea developed Cycleau in response to water challenges in cities such as Flint, Newark and Baltimore, as well as contamination concerns around Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal. At the same time, overloaded wastewater networks in older cities can contribute to sewage discharges into nearby waterways. MIT Solve describes Cycleau as an attempt to decentralize water treatment by bringing part of the process directly into buildings.
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The system can fit beneath sinks, showers and laundry units. It connects to existing plumbing and captures graywater, or wastewater produced by activities such as washing and bathing rather than toilets. Instead of sending all wastewater into a central sewer network, the system diverts a portion for treatment and potential reuse.
According to UNICEF, the system can reuse about 20 percent of graywater by treating it for potential drinking-water use. This could reduce the amount of wastewater entering sewage systems. The system uses a filtration process involving drainage gravel, activated carbon and fine sand to remove contaminants and pathogens.
Cycleau was designed to be relatively affordable and accessible. Each unit is expected to cost less than $500 and can be installed in homes, schools and health care facilities, including in remote areas.
Florea was selected as a young innovator under UNICEF Innovation30: Young Innovators Shaping the Future in 2023.
Initially, MIT said Cycleau was still a prototype requiring additional evaluation and advised volunteers not to consume the treated water. In 2024, however, the technology was piloted in Tajikistan in collaboration with UNICEF. The organization said the compact treatment system could reduce the total water footprint by up to 80 percent. The project is now being developed beyond its original concept.
A water research article examined methods for treating household graywater locally using systems such as membrane bioreactors (MBRs) and moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBRs). The researchers found that combining these treatment methods with ultraviolet treatment or electrochemical disinfection can effectively treat graywater, although each method has its own advantages and limitations.
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Broad deployment of systems such as Cycleau could potentially conserve significant amounts of water while reducing dependence on bottled water and the plastic waste associated with it.
Florea is now a driving force behind [LÆRO], a multidisciplinary design studio she founded in 2022. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Integrated Design and Sustainable Cities from Parsons School of Design and a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies and Economics from The New School in New York.