Unlocking Energy Savings: Wastewater Heat Recovery Systems in Sustainable Construction
In the race to decarbonise the built environment, one overlooked opportunity is literally going down the drain. Every day, buildings discharge massive volumes of warm wastewater—from showers, laundries, commercial kitchens and industrial processes. That warm water carries significant untapped energy. W8ST’s RecovrE system is capturing that energy and putting it to work, over and over again.
What is RecovrE?
RecovrE is W8ST’s locally designed and manufactured wastewater heat recovery system, engineered specifically for Australian conditions and sustainability standards. Installed in multi-residential, commercial or industrial buildings or precincts, RecovrE extracts the thermal energy from onsite wastewater and from the sewer system. That heat is then repurposed to pre-warm incoming water, reducing energy demand on traditional water heaters and significantly cutting energy use.
The system can also work in reverse when cooling demand is high—excess thermal energy can be managed by the system to reduce energy in high temperature events, further optimising plant and equipment without increasing the demand on energy utilities.
The system works seamlessly in the background—compact, self-cleaning and with smart controls that monitor flow, temperature and system efficiency in real time. It’s designed for integration with new developments as well as retrofits in high-thermal energy consumption infrastructure.
Why It Matters for Sustainable Construction
Heating water is one of the largest energy loads in any residential or commercial building. In some cases, it accounts for up to 30% of total energy consumption. By recovering waste heat from showers, dishwashers and industrial processes, RecovrE reduces energy demand at the source—improving a building’s NABERS and Green Star ratings, and lowering operational costs from day one.
It’s a particularly valuable solution for:
Build-to-rent and social housing developments
Hotels, aquatic centres and aged care facilities
University campuses and student accommodation
Industrial laundries and food production sites
“There’s energy in every drop of used water—and most buildings are throwing it away,” says Rick Edwards, co-founder of W8ST and the design engineer of the system. “RecovrE is our response to that inefficiency. It’s about taking a system that was designed to discard energy and turning it into one that circulates it.”
Designed for Local Impact
Unlike imported systems that can be difficult to maintain or poorly suited to Australian infrastructure, RecovrE is designed and built locally. This means faster installation, easier compliance with local codes and a supply chain that supports Australian jobs and circular manufacturing.
The unit is modular and customisable, with stainless steel construction, anti-clog filtration and minimal maintenance requirements. It’s also backed by W8ST’s end-to-end service offering—from feasibility modelling and cost-benefit analysis to engineering, installation and performance reporting.
“Our goal is to make clean infrastructure effortless. RecovrE helps developers and asset managers tick off sustainability requirements while locking in long-term cost savings,” says Rick.
The Future of Plumbing is Regenerative
As cities push for net-zero and buildings are expected to do more with less, systems like RecovrE play a key role in redefining what sustainable construction looks like. Instead of designing for energy consumption alone, we’re entering a future where buildings regenerate and reuse energy as they operate.