The cost of water in the front lines of a military theater can be as much as $60 per gallon. A Michigan State University portable wastewater treatment project for the Department of Defense could make some of the expensive shipments of water unnecessary.

The system has three components: a solar unit, a biological conversion process to break down wastewater and food scraps to produce methane for fuel, and a nano-filtration system to take the discharge to provide drinking water. The short-term goal is reduce supply chain risks for the military. Long term, the technology will benefit agricultural operations and municipal wastewater treatment plants.