Village of Cloudcroft New Mexico, USA – Direct potable reuse facility partially built

The Village of Cloudcroft, New Mexico identified potable reuse as a solution due to stressed water resources in the early 2000s. The PURe Water direct potable reuse project was conceptualised, designed shortly thereafter, and partially constructed. Membrane bioreactor construction resumed in 2015 and was completed in 2018. The membrane bioreactor is currently online and operational. The direct potable reuse project has never operated, and Reverse Osmosis brine management remains a significant challenge. The case study of Cloudcroft illustrates some of the potential difficulties for small communities looking to implement potable reuse.