How One Bangkok set new standards for urban water sustainability

In water-stressed Thailand, the ambitious One Bangkok development, Thailand’s first fully integrated district, faced a critical challenge: how to create a sustainable urban district that minimizes water consumption while supporting a massive mixed-use project. With limited water resources and growing environmental concerns, developers needed innovative solutions to reduce freshwater dependency and manage wastewater responsibly.

One Bangkok established sustainability as a core value from inception. As Thailand’s pioneer site in obtaining LEED-Neighborhood Development Platinum certification, the district demonstrates an exceptional commitment to sustainable design. With 50% of the project area dedicated to green spaces and enhanced walkability, the development required water management solutions that aligned with its environmental vision while treating and recycling wastewater from every building.

The water management system incorporates smart monitoring technologies that leverage real-time data for robust, data-driven operations. This proactive approach facilitates predictive maintenance, enhancing operational efficiency while minimizing long-term costs. These efforts support One Bangkok’s overarching “Reuse and Recycle” practice, contributing to projected annual savings of 3.7 million cubic meters of potable water — enough to supply nearly 11,000 urban households for an entire year.

Advanced technologies drive results
Veolia responded with an integrated treatment system featuring several innovative technologies making their Asia-Pacific debut:

• Spidflow®, a high-rate clarification process, provides flexibility to handle variations in water quality, making it ideal for this complex development

• AnoxKaldnes® Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) offers stable and efficient biological treatment using suspended biofilm carriers.

• Multiflo™ clarification combines coagulation, flocculation and counter-current lamella settling in one compact solution for treating both stormwater and tertiary wastewater.

This integrated approach enables One Bangkok to reuse 1,200 to 1,500 cubic meters of water daily — equivalent to half an Olympic swimming pool. At full capacity, the system will treat and recycle approximately 10,000 cubic meters daily, comparable to four Olympic swimming pools.

Setting a new standard
One Bangkok’s holistic sustainability strategy pairs advanced water management with energy efficiency and wellness-focused design. At its core, an innovative district cooling system works alongside a state-of-the-art command center operating continuously to enhance both operational efficiency and environmental stewardship.

When fully operational, the district will recycle 75% of wastewater for non-potable applications, establishing a new benchmark for water conservation in urban developments. This approach aligns with Veolia’s GreenUp program, which focuses on ecological transformation through innovative solutions that depollute, decarbonize, and regenerate resources.

The collaboration between Veolia and One Bangkok demonstrates how advanced water treatment technologies can create resilient urban communities while offering a blueprint for future development across the region.

Sustainable solutions for urban water management
The One Bangkok project highlights how urban developments facing water management challenges can partner with Veolia to implement reliable, scalable solutions. With extensive experience in water recycling and resource optimization, Veolia helps clients conserve water, reduce environmental impact, and enhance operational efficiency.

Veolia’s integrated technologies and smart monitoring systems can help your organization achieve similar results, whether you’re developing a new site or upgrading existing infrastructure. Our tailored solutions address specific challenges while delivering measurable benefits to your business, community, and environment.

Contact our specialists today to learn how Veolia can help make your operations more sustainable, efficient, and resilient.