The ultrapure water plant upgrades the treated sewage produced by the sewage treatment plant in Emmen to ultrapure water. When deciding on the choice of technologies the impact on the environment, in terms of the use of chemicals, was taken into account. Rinse and wash streams are reused or returned to the sewage treatment plant. Only the reverse osmosis concentrate is discharged into surface water.

To meet the requirements the ultrapure water plant in Emmen produces up to 10,000 m3 of ultrapure water per day. NieuWater will supply the energy company NAM with ultrapure water for at least 25 years. The use of sewage treatment plant effluent as influent and the combination of water treatment technologies make this project unique in the world.

The rwzi effluent will be processed into ultrapure water in a number of stages:
Piping in water - Screening  - Ultrafiltration - Biologically activated carbon filter - Reverse osmosis - Electrodeionisation  - Buffer capacity