We believe water should be judged on its quality, not its history

What Is the Pure Water Brewing Alliance?

The Pure Water Brewing Alliance is a group of utilities, brewers, engineering firms, and technology companies involved in brewing beer with recycled water.

What Is Pure Water Brew?

Pure Water Brew is the world’s most sustainable beer made from 100% pure recycled water. It is a collaboration between pioneering brewers and water utilities who have teamed up to build public understanding of the water cycle, showcase water treatment, and advance water sustainability.

Technology allows wastewater utilities to produce safe, purified - or recycled - water. This water goes through numerous treatment barriers and meets or beats drinking water standards. When it goes into the brew kettle, this water is some of the purest water on the planet and a truly blank slate for brewers.

Why Do We Need Recycled Water?

Water resources are strained by aging infrastructure, population growth, pollution, and climate change. Reusing water is a vital part of the solution. Recycled water is being used efficiently and safely in locations where an additional water resource is needed. It’s part of a sustainable future.

Why Partner With Brewers?

Brewers understand water and recognize the need to use it sustainably. And brewers are very picky about their water. Clean, high-quality water is a vital ingredient in beer, making up 90 percent of its content. The commitment to conservation, along with brewers’ passion for technological innovation and ability to brew beer in small batches, is what led to the Pure Water Brewing phenomenon.

What’s the History?

Clean Water Services and the Oregon Brew Crew held the first Pure Water Brew competition in 2014. The concept quickly spread to the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewer District; Hillsborough County, Florida; and CDM Smith in Colorado. Then Arizona Pure Water Brew partnered with 26 commercial brewers for a statewide contest. In 2017, these early adopters and a pioneering group of utilities, consultants, professional associations, and craft brewers formed the Pure Water Brewing Alliance.

Questions?

Please direct any inquiries regarding the Pure Water Brewing Alliance to PWBA@wef.org.

Pure Water Brewing Alliance logo transparent

The Latest

Craft Brewers Conference

The Pure Water Brewing Alliance had a booth at the Craft Brewers Conference.  This was an opportunity to raise awareness of water reuse within the brewing industry. The booth received strong traffic and visitors expressed interest in the concept.

The alliance also held a session on water reuse and brewing at the conference, with more than 150 attendees. The session featured a panel of Cascade Brewing, Half Moon Bay Brewing, Stone Brewing, Clean Water Services, Pima County (AZ), and CDM Smith. The panelists discussed their experiences with public engagement as the various efforts have progressed around the country.

Alliance Members

  • Barbarian Brewery
  • Brown and Caldwell
  • Cambrian Innovation
  • Cascade Brewing
  • CDM Smith
  • CH2M
  • City of Boise
  • Clean Water Services (Oregon)
  • Corollo
  • Declaration Brewing 
  • Denver Water 
  • Garver
  • Half Moon Bay Brewing
  • HDR
  • Hillsborough County (Florida)
  • LongDrop Cider
  • Lost Grove Brewery
  • Mad Swede Brewery
  • Marana Water
  • MICROrganic Technologies 
  • Oregon Brew Crew 
  • Pima County RWRD (Arizona)
  • Seismic Brewing Company 
  • Stone Brewing Company
  • Water Environment Federation
  • Water Research Foundation
  • WateReuse Association
  • Xylem Inc.

Media Clips

2018

2017

2016

2015

Brewers That Used Recycled Water

  • Oregon Brew Crew (homebrewers club) – Oregon
  • Cascade Brewing - Portland
  • Half-Moon Bay Brewing Company - California
  • Mavericks Brewing – Half Moon Bay, California
  • Homebrewer at Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District - Wisconsin
  • Special Hoperations homebrewer club and Hillsborough County Public Utilities – Tampa, Florida
  • Stone Brewing Company – San Diego
  • Seismic Brewing Company – Santa Rose, CA
  • Ratio Beerworks – Denver
  • Thunder Canyon Brewery – Tucson, AZ
  • 1912 Brewing Company – Tucson, AZ
  • Borderlands Brewing Company – Tucson, AZ
  • Crooked Tooth Brewing Company – Tucson, AZ
  • Dillinger Brewing Company – Tucson, AZ
  • Dragoon Brewing Company – Tucson, AZ
  • Iron John’s Brewing – Tucson, AZ
  • Public Brewhouse – Tucson, AZ
  • Catalina Brewing Company – Marana, AZ
  • Perch Pub and Brewery – Chandler, AZ
  • Arizona Wilderness Brewing – Gilbert, AZ
  • Saddle Mountain Brewing Company – Goodyear, AZ
  • Freak’N Brewing Company – Peoria, AZ
  • Peoria Artisan Brewery – Peoria, AZ
  • Mother Bunch Brewing – Phoenix
  • OHSO Brewery – Phoenix
  • Wren House Brewing Company – Phoenix
  • Goldwater Brewing Company – Scottsdale, AZ
  • McFate Brewing Company – Scottsdale, AZ
  • Two Brothers Tap House & Brewery – Scottsdale, AZ
  • Oak Creek Brewing Company – Sedona, AZ
  • Prison Hill Brewing Company – Yuma, AZ
  • Dark Sky Brewing Company – Flagstaff, AZ
  • Wanderlust Brewing Company – Flagstaff, AZ
  • Historic Brewing Company – Flagstaff, AZ
  • ​Granite Mountain Brewing – Prescott, AZ
  • Lone Tree Brewing Company – Denver
  • Lost Highway Brewing Company – Denver
  • 105 West Brewing Company - Denver
  • Declaration Brewing - Denver

Videos of Brewing

Pure Water Brew in Oregon

Stone Brewing’s Full Circle Pale Ale

 

 CDM Smith’s Water Reuse for Craft Breweries

WEFTEC 2016 Sustainable Beer

 Pima County, AZ Water Innovation Challenge

Pure Water Brew 2015

CDM Smith’s 12-Log Lager

WEFTEC 2015 Sustainable Beer

Pure Water Brew 2014

CDM Smith’s Fat Californian IPA

WateReuse, Xylem, and Hillsborough County, FL

Technical Resources

A look at how the purification process can lead to beer.

Quick history of the Pure Water Brewing Alliance and hear about the Stone Brewing Co. Story:

The following article was submitted to WEF, to be published in various Member Association publications.

Available Now: The Water Reuse Roadmap

The Water Reuse Roadmap is an overview of all the opportunities and issues faced by water reuse projects. Developed to help water managers facilitate successful water reuse programs, from concept development through implementation and maintenance.

Purchase the Water Reuse Roadmap