Why
rethink
wat e r ?
Imperial college needed to repl ace
its a g e i n g a n d c o st ly l a b o r at o r y
w at e r p u r i f i c ati o n s y st e m s
s o u r c e d f r o m m u lti p l e s u p p l i e r s
1
The UK is facing serious
water challenges, with
reliable water sources not
guaranteed in the future
2
purification systems, which
were sourced from multiple
suppliers, with new advanced
systems to meet modern and
demanding research applications
in a number of different buildings.
Researchers and students at the
college use a wide range of scientific
techniques during their work, which
requires varying quality and quantities of
pure water. The quality and reliability of
its pure water systems are very important
to the college to ensure the efficacy and
continuity of academic and laboratory
work. The college opted for 18 standalone
purification systems to ensure that each
laboratory was completely self-sufficient
for its pure water needs. For maximum
convenience and to save space in busy
areas, systems were bench or wall
mounted and provide:
• T
ype I water for molecular biology/
cell culture prep
• R
everse osmosis grade water for
glassware washing
• U
ltrapure water for liquid
chromatography–mass spectrometry
• G
eneral laboratory grade water for
buffer and media prep
The college also has a five year
maintenance contract with 24-hour
response for every conceivable
eventuality now and in the future. The
team’s new solution is ‘comprehensive,
flexible, and ideal for a wide range of
applications and risk factors’.
I n d u s t ry u n c e rta i nt y
Evidence is accumulating at both
a national and global level, highlighting
the challenges of fresh water supply
that we face in the future if levels of
wastage are not reduced. It is time to
start thinking differently about how
we manage this valuable resource, and
as such, water is at the top of the agenda
for many governments.
The future of regulations and laws
around water and wastewater treatment
is uncertain in the UK. For instance, water
regulator Ofwat plans to allow water
companies to buy and sell water ‘as a
service’, which is likely to have an impact
on many industries, and may even have
negative implications for some. What we
do know is that companies not meeting
the exacting environmental standards
can face debilitating fines, removal of
operational licences, customer losses,
and huge reputational damage.
We’re focused on supporting our
customers to rethink water. Our
technologies enable us to treat all
types of wastewater, transforming
waste back into a valuable resource,
reducing costs associated with water
use, and lessening the impact that
industry has on the environment.
M o d e l l i n g w at e r
a n d w a s t e w at e r r i s k s
When organisational decisions are
being made on water strategy and
technology infrastructure, quantifying
water risk and its impact on the bottom
line is powerful knowledge to have in
order to justify investment. Translating
water-related risks into financial
implications helps to anticipate,
prioritise, and more effectively
mitigate risks that can have negative
effects. Having experts model your
water and wastewater treatment risks
and financial impacts, evaluate your
water processing systems, and help
develop a resilient water treatment
system is a value-added approach.
Well thought through and efficient
water and wastewater treatment isn’t
just good for the conscience, it also
makes good business sense. ■
For more information visit
veoliawatertechnologies.co.uk
The real cost of water to
businesses also includes
hidden risk factors
3
Implementing efficient
water management
practices guards against
many risks
4
The right water treatment
system helps towards water
sustainability targets and
company growth
5
Long-term costs are
lowered through increased
efficiency and supply
chain resilience
6
Investing in sustainability
promotes long-term
corporate success in
many ways
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