N254-123 TITLE: Expeditionary Energy-Efficient Greywater Treatment for Reuse
OUSD (R&E) CRITICAL TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Advanced Materials;Sustainment
OBJECTIVE: Develop a rugged expeditionary system to treat greywater to the Sanitary Control and Surveillance of Field Water Supplies – Technical Bulletin (TB MED 577) recycled greywater standards in an operational environment to be used for Class II, Class III, and Class IV applications. The solution should demonstrate an effective treatment, simple functionality and maintainability, and autonomous operation, incorporating automated control systems that adjust treatment processes based on real-time input and output water quality analysis, thereby minimizing the need for manual operator intervention.
DESCRIPTION: The Department of Defense’s Expeditionary community has a need for an effective and user-friendly way to treat greywater in an operational environment. The system must be able to start processing greywater once unpacked and also be quickly disassembled and drained for transportation.
The system shall be able to treat field-generated shower and laundry water to TB MED 577 recycled greywater reuse standards or better. This will be achieved through an automated process managed by a Process Logic Controller (PLC), incorporating a robust control system with a manual override capability for operational flexibility. System performance and efficiency shall be monitored to ensure the effluent water quality meets applicable re-use standards listed in TB MED 577 – Sanitary Control and Surveillance of Field Water Supplies, Section 9-4. The product water shall be acceptable for Class II, Class III, and Class IV uses including decontamination of personnel, vehicle coolant, aircraft washing, field laundry, concrete construction, and more.
State-of-the-art greywater treatment technologies present several challenges for expeditionary applications. Novel treatment methods, while promising, often involve lengthy startup periods (exceeding six hours) and require specialized technical expertise for operation and maintenance. The ideal system should be easily operated and maintained by personnel without formal training on the specific equipment. Furthermore, reverse osmosis (RO), while effective, typically requires a large power demand, increasing the logistical burden. Additionally, legacy systems potentially exceed the necessary purification requirements for Class II and Class III water reuse applications. In expeditionary environments, minimizing energy consumption and logistical burden is paramount due to the necessity of transporting fuel to the battlefield. Therefore, offerors should carefully consider the trade-offs between treatment performance, energy efficiency, and system complexity when selecting an appropriate technology. Solutions should demonstrate efficient use of resources while consistently meeting the water quality standards defined in TB MED 577 without the excessive power demands or over-purification often associated with RO.
The innovation shall not lie in the concept of greywater recycling but in developing a system that surpasses the limitations of current energy-intensive, complex, and ineffective methods. The proposed system's novelty shall come from combining increased energy efficiency crucial for expeditionary settings; a ruggedized and compact design for easy transport and deployment; smart features like advanced sensors and automation; and enhanced contaminant removal for safe and reliable water reuse. This integrated approach, applying potentially existing technologies in a novel configuration tailored to the Department of Defense’s expeditionary needs, represents a significant advancement in sustainable water management for austere environments. The solution must be innovative yet still utilize standard and replaceable parts that can be sourced globally.
PHASE I: Design a greywater treatment system that meets TB MED 577 Class II water reuse standards. Begin with a technology matrix evaluating state-of-the-art water treatment methods, leading to the selection of the preferred method(s) for field shower and laundry water treatment. Create a design plan, including a water quality monitoring system integration, specifying the make and model of all system components. Develop a system model, treatment capacity, and a 60% complete technical drawing package as an end deliverable. Produce a feasibility report, encompassing a full schedule for Phase II prototype demonstration in both controlled and expeditionary operating environments. Develop a Phase II plan.
PHASE II: Focus on the development and demonstration of a full-scale greywater treatment prototype based on the technology selected in Phase I. Ensure that the prototype, designed for both laboratory and field demonstrations, is capable of operating in an expeditionary environment without operator intervention for a specified time period and require minimal maintenance. (Note: At this stage the prototype is not yet required to meet full military climate and durability standards.) Produce deliverables that include a fully functional prototype system, an accompanying operation and training manual complete with a parts list and troubleshooting guide, and validation of the system by both the manufacturer and Department of Defense representatives.
PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The technology developed under this SBIR impacts future military water treatment and re-use applications for expeditionary forces. Improved wastewater management technologies, specifically those focused on reduced energy consumption, hold significant potential for supply constraint austere environments like military bases, disaster zones, and remote communities.
Developing mobile, robust, and water saving solutions that prioritize energy efficiency would replace bulky traditional systems, benefiting both military and commercial sectors. These innovations minimize logistical burdens, reduce environmental impact, and ensure sanitation for humanitarian aid, remote tourism, mining, and emergency response efforts. Commercialization through public-private partnerships, government procurement, and international marketing will drive adoption, fostering a more resilient and environmentally responsible future. The technology has application in the residential and commercial housing sector for water re-use applications and green infrastructure design.
REFERENCES:
KEYWORDS: Greywater reuse; grey water; graywater; recycling, gray water; water treatment; forward operating bases; expeditionary
** TOPIC NOTICE ** |
The Navy Topic above is an "unofficial" copy from the Navy Topics in the DoD 25.4 Release 11 SBIR BAA. Please see the official DoD Topic website at www.dodsbirsttr.mil/submissions/solicitation-documents/active-solicitations for any updates. The DoD issued its Navy 25.4 Release 11 SBIR Topics pre-release on August 6, 2025 which opens to receive proposals on August 27, 2025, and closes September 27, 2025 (12:00pm ET). Direct Contact with Topic Authors: During the pre-release period (August 6, 2025, through August 26, 2025) proposing firms have an opportunity to directly contact the Technical Point of Contact (TPOC) to ask technical questions about the specific BAA topic. The TPOC contact information is listed in each topic description. Once DoD begins accepting proposals on August 27, 2025 no further direct contact between proposers and topic authors is allowed unless the Topic Author is responding to a question submitted during the Pre-release period. DoD On-line Q&A System: After the pre-release period, until September 10, 2025, at 12:00 PM ET, proposers may submit written questions through the DoD On-line Topic Q&A at https://www.dodsbirsttr.mil/submissions/login/ by logging in and following instructions. In the Topic Q&A system, the questioner and respondent remain anonymous but all questions and answers are posted for general viewing. DoD Topics Search Tool: Visit the DoD Topic Search Tool at www.dodsbirsttr.mil/topics-app/ to find topics by keyword across all DoD Components participating in this BAA.
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| 8/20/25 | Q. | I have a few technical clarifications that would help ensure our proposed design aligns precisely with Navy expectations:
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