Water treatment is critical. Food & Beverage manufacturers strive to have their products be consistent in taste, quality, and appearance. This quality control becomes more complicated for manufacturers that have plants across the country or world, especially when you consider that the water they use is different all over the place. The water chemistry varies greatly depending on the water source.

Municipally provided water includes chlorine or other chemicals when compared to well water, which may have more particulates. Water hardness and pH values can also vary. Lastly, water can taste different and or impart color depending on what is in it. All of this means that companies need to treat the water before using it. So each location or company needs to design, install, or purchase a specialized system to meet its individual treatment needs.

Below is an example of what the components in one such system could look like.

Treatment Variations

The different types or stages of water treatment vary widely. Some customers’ water is free of particulates so they do not need multimedia filtration. Other companies use activated carbon to help remove the residual chlorine versus chemical injection with sodium bisulfate. Some only need one RO system and not two. You may need to adjust the pH and add salts to improve the flavor with some water requirements.

One system definitely does not fit all.

Basic Strategy:

So how do you know what you need to have water for your production?   1) It is essential to work with a water specialist company that understands water chemistries and different water treatment technologies. 2)  You need to have water samples taken at various times and sent out to a certified testing laboratory for analysis to discover what you are dealing with. 3) You need to have or create a company/product water standard to have as a baseline. 4) Then, work with your water systems specialist to create a water treatment system balanced with capital expense costs versus ongoing systems maintenance costs.

System Component Selection:

The System providers work with various manufacturers and stocking technical distributors to select the ideal components. Everything must work well together, communicate and control the different and overall processes. The instrumentation controls have gotten more advanced and integrated. Additionally, more attention is paid to controlling ongoing energy costs, as systems like ROs are notorious energy hogs. So it is common to integrate VFD controls in transfer/booster pumps. Some advancements in filtration technologies have reduced labor, disposal, and water costs; the days of consuming excess water in long backwash cycles or changing out many small filter cartridges are becoming too expensive to maintain. Lastly, we see the advancement in having these systems communicate with Building Management System become more common.

Conclusion

Water Treatment systems can come in many flavors, and it is crucial not to try a “One Size Fits All” approach. Researching and selecting the right water treatment system company can make all the difference. And make sure to discuss how they can assist you with keeping your energy and labor costs lower long term.

For additional information or assistance regarding your water treatment needs, contact the Ryan Herco Technical Support Team at TechSupport@rhfs.com or 877-741-7437.

About Ryan Herco Flow Solutions:

RHFS is a technical stocking distributor, with 30 offices around the US, for many world-class manufacturers. We specialize in solutions for water treatment, including; Filtration, Pumps, Instrumentation, Controls, Actuation, Piping, and UV sterilizers. We have trained Technical Support and offer the ideal products for your challenging applications.