Epic Cleantec, Salesforce and BXP
Reusing building wastewater to reduce freshwater demandÂ
Climate-related water risk:Â Drought, urban water scarcity, rising water costs, and pressure on municipal water systemsÂ
Solution pathway:Â Onsite blackwater treatment and reuse in a commercial high-riseÂ
Business type:Â Technology provider / corporate tenant / commercial real estate ownerÂ
Sector:Â Commercial real estate and water technologyÂ
Geography:Â San Francisco, California, United StatesÂ
In Practice
The 61-storey Salesforce Tower has more than 130,000 square metres of office space and is home to the largest onsite blackwater system in a commercial high-rise in the United States. The system collects water from rooftop rainwater, cooling towers, sinks, toilets, and urinals, then treats it onsite and recirculates it for non-potable uses including toilet flushing and the building’s HVAC system. It is designed to recycle up to 114 cubic metres of wastewater per day.Â
The project is a collaboration between several organisations. Salesforce is the building’s largest tenant and owns the onsite system. BXP owns and operates Salesforce Tower. Epic Cleantec was brought in to oversee final startup and commissioning and to take responsibility for daily operations and maintenance. Salesforce also describes the wider project as a collaboration with the City of San Francisco and Boston Properties, making it an example of how city government, building owners, tenants, and water technology providers can work together to scale urban water reuse.Â
The system reuses around 29.5 million litres of water per year, equivalent to around 60 million bottles of water, and reduces the building’s freshwater consumption by up to 76%. Epic Cleantec also estimates annual utility savings of around $395,000. This helps keep water available by reducing demand for potable water, keeps water affordable by lowering utility costs, and keeps water fit for use by treating wastewater to a standard suitable for reuse within the building.
Why this example was selected
This case study was selected because it shows a specific, measurable business response to urban water scarcity. It is not only a water efficiency example, but a collaboration between a corporate tenant, a commercial real estate owner, a city, and a water technology provider to create a new local water source inside a major office building.Â
The case has a strong external curation basis. Salesforce describes it as the first US-based partnership between a city government, building owner and tenant to support blackwater reuse in a commercial high-rise. Epic Cleantec’s wider OneWater system was also recognised by TIME as one of the Best Inventions of 2022. The project is especially useful for the Business Hub because it shows that commercial buildings can become active water-resilience assets, rather than simply large water consumers.Â
