Access to alternative water sources can be a significant advantage for businesses, providing a reliable, sustainable, and cost-effective substitute for municipal water supplies. However, when considering a water treatment system, businesses can gather vital information that facilitates a more informed and effective discussion with a water treatment solutions company. By following the five steps outlined below, businesses can gain a clearer understanding of their water treatment needs. At Intechem Water Purification, we leverage this understanding to assist companies across various industries and sectors, ensuring tailored and effective water management for their businesses.
Step 1: Assess Water Volume – Impacts and Considerations
There are two parts to this step, understanding the volume of water available from your alternative source and how much treated water you need. Begin by determining your business’s daily and peak water needs and evaluate how your source – whether it’s a borehole, rainwater harvesting system, or greywater recycling system – can meet these demands.
Daily and Peak Demand: Calculate how much water is needed daily and during peak usage times.
Sustainable Yield: Ensure that your water source can provide a consistent and sustainable supply to match your demand.
Why it matters:
The design and cost of your system are greatly influenced by the above considerations. The system’s production rate and the water source’ yield are key factors. Designing a smaller system that runs at a lower capacity over a longer period is typically more cost-effective than opting for a larger system that produces the required volume in a short time. The choice between these options will determine both the initial investment and ongoing operational costs.
Step 2: Conduct a Comprehensive Water Analysis
Before utilizing any alternative water source, it’s essential to understand its quality. Although not always essential we do recommend having a comprehensive water analysis done to understand the levels of different parameters in your water and to identify any parameters that could impact the treatment methods used and design of the water treatment system. The parameters to test will vary based on the water source and its geographical location. Below is a short breakdown of what can be tested:
Microbial Contaminants: Bacteria, viruses, and parasites.
Chemical Contaminants: Heavy metals, pesticides, or other chemicals.
Physical Parameters: Turbidity, colour, and odour.
Organic Content: Levels of organic content.
Why it matters:
Testing your water, routinely, whether from rain, boreholes, or recycled sources, ensures it is safe and suitable for your intended use, aligns with regulatory or business-specific standards, and receives the required treatment processes.
Step 3: Determine the End-Use of Your Water
The intended use of your water will dictate the necessary treatment. Different end-uses require different quality standards:
Potable Use
If the water will be used for drinking or food preparation, stringent purification and disinfection are required.
Process Water
For industrial processes, the water may need specific chemical and physical qualities to avoid damaging equipment and ensure product quality.
Irrigation
Water used for irrigation must be free from contaminants that could harm plants or soil.
Cooling and Boiling
For these uses, water should be treated to prevent scaling, corrosion, or fouling.
Step 4: Understand Water Specifications Aligned to Your Water Quality Needs.
Establishing water quality specifications is crucial for tailoring your water treatment processes to meet both regulatory and business-specific standards. Specifications such as SANS 241:2015, WHO, irrigation specifications, and discharge limits set by your municipality all have specific parameter levels we can design your water treatment system to meet.
Why it matters:
Clear specifications guide the selection of appropriate treatment technologies to ensure the water meets your quality requirements.
Step 5: Consider Additional Factors: Storage, Service, Maintenance, and Operating Costs
Clear specifications guide the selection of appropriate treatment technologies to ensure the water meets your quality requirements.
Choosing the appropriate material and volume of your storage solution, for the feed water, the water treatment system, and in many cases the treated water can impact your design and costing of your storage solution. Ensure proper placement for easy access to the storage tanks and water treatment system.
Regularly inspect and maintain your treatment systems to ensure they function effectively. Follow guidelines for servicing equipment like filters and pumps or have our service and maintenance team conduct regular site visits for the optimum performance of your water treatment plant.
Monitor and manage energy consumption, chemical use, and labour costs associated with the operation and maintenance of your water treatment system. This can be proactively done by incorporating our remote access and monitoring offering which ensures we pre-empt any unforeseen issues and can proactively reduce operating costs.
These considerations help ensure a continuous supply of high-quality water, prevent disruptions, and maintain cost-efficient operations over time.
Empowering Businesses with Effective Water Management
Treating alternative water sources for business use requires careful planning and execution. By following these steps—assessing water volume, conducting thorough water analysis, determining end-use, setting water specifications, and considering additional operational factors—businesses can effectively manage and treat their alternative water sources. This approach helps ensure the water is safe, efficient, and tailored to meet business needs, making you better prepared when enquiring about a water treatment system.
