The textile industry is one of the most polluting and water intensive industries. Wastewater from such industries is difficult to treat. Conventional methods of wastewater treatment are either too costly e.g., reverse osmosis or ineffective e.g., activated sludge systems. We are developing a novel technology based on microbial fuel cells (MFC) for industrial wastewater treatment. MFC technology uses naturally occurring bacteria in biofilm-based reactors to treat wastewater and generate a small amount of electricity. The treated water can be used by communities where water is scarce for non-potable purposes e.g., irrigation or reused by industries e.g. for cleaning or cooling.