Artificial surf lagoons have grown into one of the most demanding forms of recreational water infrastructure. They appear simple from the outside. The water is blue and the waves are predictable. Yet behind every clear lagoon sits a treatment system that behaves much more like a compact municipal plant than a pool.
Wavegarden is a Basque engineering company recognised globally as a leader in artificial surfing technology.
The company designs, builds and operates commercial surf lagoons that combine electromechanical wave-generation systems with large-scale water treatment processes. Its facilities now operate across USA, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Australia.
Wavegarden’s engineers realised early that artificial surf water needed its own treatment approach.
Andoni Urrutikoetxea, PhD, Engineer at Wavegarden, said the company understood the gap from the start.
“From the very beginning, we realised that surf lagoons could not simply copy swimming pools. Our lagoons are ten times bigger than the biggest swimming pools, so the systems had to be built from scratch.”
The first surf lagoons often tolerated low water clarity because pool technology could not withstand wave-driven loads. Urrutikoetxea said this shaped early expectations.
“At that time, the concept was that an artificial surfing lagoon was something brown, with plenty of solids and surface water. Clear lagoons simply did not exist.”
Wavegarden shifted this view through hydrodynamic modelling, filtration design and microbial research. In Australia, the learning curve began with URBNSURF Melbourne.
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Lessons from Melbourne’s recycled-water model
URBNSURF Melbourne opened before Wavegarden had developed its integrated treatment platform. The lagoon’s water strategy relied on a partnership with Melbourne Airport, which owns the land and already collects stormwater and greywater across the precinct.
“It was just a casualty because the land where the lagoon is located belongs to the airport,” Urrutikoetxea said.
The location provided access to a stable, non-potable water source, relieving pressure on Melbourne’s drinking-water system.
The inlet water was upgraded through filtration and disinfection. Urrutikoetxea said the results were stronger than expected.
“What we guarantee is that the fresh water coming into the system is good enough,” he said. “Our system is able to produce, honestly, drinking water. We do not aim for drinking water, but it fulfils the regulations.”
Melbourne also highlighted the need for science-based disinfection. Wavegarden supported research published in Heliyon, which showed that chlorine alone was insufficient to inactivate Naegleria fowleri under lagoon-like conditions. The combination of ultraviolet and chlorine proved fully effective, matching Wavegarden’s own laboratory findings.
Urrutikoetxea said this work was vital for warm climates.
“We study the growth of amoeba and compare the velocity of growth to the velocity of disinfection,” he said.
“Our goal is to prove that the lagoon is safe even when temperatures go higher than 26 degrees.”
Engineering a purpose-built system
Wavegarden’s newer facilities, including URBNSURF Sydney, use a treatment system designed specifically for artificial surf. The platform integrates biological treatment, ultrafiltration and ultraviolet disinfection into a continuous loop. Its control logic reflects the membrane and sensor strategies from Wavegarden’s patents.
Urrutikoetxea said a unique system was essential.
“We decided that we needed something special for our lagoons,” he said. “If we applied directly what was used in swimming pools, the water treatment would be more expensive than the wave machine itself.”
The system was refined through laboratory trials in Spain and hydrodynamic modelling that mapped currents, turbulence patterns and mixing zones. This helped engineers position recirculation intakes to capture representative water from the entire lagoon.
Biological treatment stabilises dissolved organics before water passes through the membranes. The membranes provide high clarity, improving ultraviolet performance. This multilayered approach keeps water stable even under heavy use.
Wavegarden also improved energy performance. Its electromechanical wave engine uses less energy than pneumatic alternatives and generates more predictable flow conditions. These stable flows reduce the load on pumps and chemicals, lowering the treatment system’s overall demand.
Urrutikoetxea said efficiency is now central to the design.
“Our system today and the next version is going to be much less energy demanding than it was ten years ago.”
Building for safety, sustainability and future use
Artificial surf water treatment now draws on microbiology, hydrodynamics and material science.
Wavegarden expanded its research following microbial incidents at other international surf parks. Laboratory trials assessed microbial growth at different temperatures and compared it with disinfection performance.
The company also explored seawater compatibility for future coastal sites. Seawater reduces pressure on freshwater systems but creates corrosion challenges.
“We are working to have machinery that is compatible with seawater,” Urrutikoetxea said. “It is a challenge not because of the water treatment, but because of the machinery.”
Wavegarden advises clients to secure non-potable sources early in project planning. These include stormwater, recycled municipal water and brackish aquifers.
“When we start a project, we look for local alternative water resources that do not compete with existing infrastructure,” Urrutikoetxea said. “We ask the customer to find these sources from the very beginning.”
Future systems will include a new disinfection approach that combines electroporation, electro-chlorination and advanced oxidation.
“We have been working for five years on a new disinfection technology,” Urrutikoetxea said. “We are starting the first full-scale module in our lab centre in Spain, and it will be applied in some Australian projects.”
Wavegarden is also applying regenerative energy concepts from its wave machine to parts of the treatment system.
“The same concept we use in wave making, we apply to water treatment to reduce consumption,” Urrutikoetxea said.
As artificial surf expands worldwide, Wavegarden works closely with local authorities and utilities.
“In many projects, the lagoon is something completely new for the local authorities,” Urrutikoetxea said. “So, we collaborate with the community, share our knowledge and adapt to their needs.”
Artificial surf water treatment has become its own engineering discipline. It blends filtration science, microbiology, hydrodynamics and energy optimisation. Melbourne showed what was possible. Sydney showed what came next, and Perth will represent the future. Urrutikoetxea said the long-term focus remains clear.
“We have water today, but we have to work hard to guarantee that the next generations will also have water. Our first goal is a safe water environment. The next is sustainability.”