Grey-Water Reprocessing
Hygiene/Wash Water Pretreatment + Recycle Loop
The hygiene and wash water pretreatment loop is a 10-kilogram filtration assembly constructed from 316L stainless steel that processes up to 10 liters per hour of grey water for return to reverse osmosis purification. Operating at 30 watts, the unit removes particulates with a coarse nylon mesh, strips surfactants across an activated carbon bed, and neutralizes pathogens using a UV-C reactor. Lunar deployment requires surfactant inventories to remain vacuum-stable during uncrewed dormancy, while sizing must accommodate intermittent crewed duty cycles and direct coupling to waste management systems for spent media disposal over a 20-year service life.
Pretreatment train for hygiene and wash water (if any crew uses Ark) — coarse filtration + UV + return to RO purification.
Purpose
Pretreatment train for hygiene and wash water (if any crew uses Ark) — coarse filtration + UV + return to RO purification.
Context
Child of L2-WTR-RECL in L1-WTR water processing chain
Principles
- ▸Coarse filter removes hair and large particulates
- ▸Activated carbon polish removes surfactants
- ▸UV sterilisation kills pathogens before merge with RO feed
- ▸Surfactant-tolerant membranes prevent fouling
- ▸Optional bypass if no crew water use
Typical implementations
- ▸ISS Hygiene Water Recovery heritage
- ▸Industrial grey-water systems (terrestrial)
- ▸Submarine grey-water reclamation
Lunar considerations
- ▸Unused if Ark remains crewless; sized for periodic crew visits
- ▸Coupled to L1-WMS for spent media disposal
- ▸Surfactant inventory must be vacuum-stable
Specifications
Functional
| primary function | Pretreatment train for hygiene and wash water (if any crew uses Ark) — coarse filtration + UV + return to RO purification. |
| throughput lph max | 10 |
| carbon months | 12 |
Physical
| mass kg | 10 |
| materials | Activated carbon, Nylon coarse mesh, UV-C reactor, 316L SS |
| vacuum compatibility | True |
Operational
| power consumption w | 30 |
| thermal range c | -40, 70 |
| lifetime years | 20 |
| mtbf hours | 60000 |
Interfaces
Provides
- Pre-treated grey water to RO
Requires
- Hygiene/wash effluent
- Carbon cartridge replacement
Cite this entry
Lunar Ark Codex. "Grey-Water Reprocessing" (L3-WTR-RECL-GREY). Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://lunarark.com/entry/L3-WTR-RECL-GREY
Licensed CC-BY-SA 4.0. You may reuse and adapt this entry with attribution, under the same licence.