---
url: https://www.eurocovers.eu/industries/water-utilities
title: Floating covers for water utilities and potable reservoirs
description: NSF-61 certified hexagonal floating covers for potable water reservoirs. Suppress algae, reduce treatment cost, retain water during drought.
updated: 2026-05-25
---

# Floating covers for water utilities and potable reservoirs

NSF-61 certified hexagonal floating covers for potable water reservoirs. Suppress algae, reduce treatment cost, retain water during drought.

NSF/ANSI food-grade hexagonal floating covers (AWTT Hexprotect® AQUA: 99% sunlight blocking, up to
95% evaporation reduction) suppress algae, reduce treatment chemical use by 70–90%, and retain
reservoir capacity during drought — without taking service reservoirs offline.

## What floating covers do for water utilities

EU water utilities face compounding pressure: drought-driven supply constraints, taste-and-odor
complaints from algae blooms, rising treatment costs, and tightening EU Drinking Water Directive
compliance. Floating covers address all four at the source — by blocking the sunlight that drives
algae and the surface area that drives evaporation.

## How covers work for potable applications

- **NSF/ANSI food-grade HDPE** (FDA-compliant formulations available) for direct contact with drinking water.
- **Modular hexagonal elements** at 99% effective surface coverage (AWTT Hexprotect® AQUA).
- **Light blocking** (99% sunlight, AWTT) suppresses algae photosynthesis at the source.
- **Evaporation suppression** (up to 95%, AWTT) retains stored capacity during drought.
- **No anchors, no draining** — installable on operating service reservoirs.

## Benefits for water utilities

| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Sunlight blocking (Hexprotect® AQUA) | 99% (AWTT) |
| Chemical treatment reduction | 70–90% |
| Evaporation reduction (Hexprotect® AQUA) | up to 95% (AWTT) |
| Potable certification | NSF/ANSI food-grade; FDA-compliant formulations |
| Manufacturer warranty | 10 years (AWTT) |
| Service reservoir downtime for installation | Zero |

## Floating covers vs. utility alternatives

Water utilities considering algae and drought-resilience measures typically weigh these options:

- **Floating cover** (hexagonal modular). 95%+ algae, 90–97% evaporation, 25+ year lifecycle, NSF-61 certified, no operational interruption.
- **Algaecide dosing** (copper sulfate or equivalent). Episodic, requires monitoring, increases priority-substance loading.
- **Aeration**. Continuous power, 60–85% algae effect, doesn't address evaporation.
- **UV treatment at point-of-use**. Disinfects what reaches customers but doesn't prevent algae formation in storage. Best deployed alongside covers, not instead.

See our [hexagonal vs. UV treatment](/vs/uv-treatment) and [hexagonal vs. aerators](/vs/aerators)
comparisons for direct head-to-head detail.

## Regulatory context

- **EU Drinking Water Directive (2020/2184)** — covers reduce the precursors of disinfection byproducts.
- **UK Drinking Water Inspectorate** — NSF-61 satisfies UK potable contact requirements.
- **EU Water Framework Directive** — reduced abstraction supports water-body status improvement.

## Related

- [Algae prevention](/solutions/algae-prevention)
- [Evaporation control](/solutions/evaporation-control)
- [Hexprotect® AQUA (NSF-61 variant)](/products/hexprotect-aqua)
- [EU water utility algae cost analysis](/knowledge/eu-water-utilities-algae-bloom-costs)