Configurator: Water treatment plant outpatient clinics

Due to its modular design, the water treatment system can be adapted to the different conditions in the outpatient care sector. This includes different degrees of water hardness, quantities required in outpatient centres, the initial water quality and the treatment steps. Optimal water treatment is relevant for reliable availability of instruments for operations. In addition, the protection of the instruments and the equipment technology goes hand in hand with this. Furthermore, any damage to the instruments or equipment is always directly related to the issue of patient safety. For the treatment of the water, a pre-filtration, a softening system, a reverse osmosis system with a 100-litre permeate tank including a surge tank and sterile filter as well as a permanent conductivity and silicate monitoring by a Testomat® 808 SiO2 at the blending bed and a recirculation system with integrated UV system and pyrogen filter are used.

As an optional component, the treatment plant can be extended by an integrated wastewater lifting unit, which conveys the produced and collected wastewater into the sewage system. The main wastewater volume flows are the wastewater from the regeneration of the softening plant and the concentrate from the reverse osmosis. The lifting unit also collects the discontinuously occurring wastewater flows from the silicate meter, the system separator and the rinsing water that occurs when the input filters (especially activated carbon filters) are changed.

The installation of a system separator is mandatory to protect the drinking water network from contamination by treated water or changes in the natural composition of the drinking water fed in due to the technical treatment of the latter. The unit has an integrated system separator (type BA), which is located directly behind the Aqua-Stop of the water connection.

The system components are installed in two Rittal enclosures. Rittal is a leading manufacturer of enclosure systems, offering a wide range of solutions for the secure storage and protection of electronic components and equipment. Rittal enclosure systems are available in a range of sizes, designs and configurations, and are suitable for various application areas such as IT infrastructure, industrial automation, power distribution and telecommunications.

Rittal's enclosure systems are characterised by high quality, functionality and flexibility. Rittal cabinets are made from high-quality materials and offer a robust design that ensures reliable protection for the equipment inside. They are protected against dust, dirt, moisture, vibration and other environmental influences. Rittal enclosure systems are modular, which means they can be adapted to specific requirements and available space. They offer a wide range of options for mounting accessories such as shelves, cable management, climate control units and power distribution units. Rittal's enclosure systems offer various security features such as lockable doors, security locks and access control systems to prevent unauthorised access to equipment and ensure data security. Only a minimum floor space of 1.60m x 1m is required to install the HeylNeomeris modular water treatment system. It consists of 2 cabinets, each 80cm wide and 60cm deep. It is possible to work with double doors and thus, due to the depth of 60 cm and a double door with a dimension of 40 cm, an area of 1 m in the depth of the room results.

The cabinets used are made of sturdy sheet steel modules and have a high-quality surface coating.

A Testomat®808 SiO2 silicate is used for permanent silicate monitoring. The Testomat®808 SiO2 is a measuring instrument that is used to determine the silicate content in water. The measuring principle of the Testomat®808 SiO2 is based on the so-called molybdenum blue method. Here, the silicate in the water reacts with a reagent solution containing molybdenum. This reaction produces a blue colour whose intensity is proportional to the silicate content. The measuring device records the colour intensity by means of an optical sensor and converts it into a measured value that represents the silicate content of the water. The Testomat®808 SiO2 is housed in a compact casing that includes a user interface, display and control elements as well as connections for water samples and drainage.

The use of the Testomat 808®SiO2 ensures reliable compliance with the limit value for SiO2 of 0.4 mg/l recommended by the DGSV and AKI. In the event of a limit value being exceeded, it is possible to transmit this to the optionally available NeoTecMaster® or to directly activate an optical warning element. Continuous monitoring of the silicate content is necessary to effectively prevent any deposits and subsequent damage to the device technology and instruments.

By using the Testomat®808 SiO2, companies can continuously monitor the silicate content and take appropriate measures to prevent deposits if necessary.

UV disinfection is used in water treatment to inactivate the water from any microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses and protozoa. UV stands for ultraviolet radiation, which is produced by special UV lamps. The principle of UV disinfection is based on inactivating the DNA or RNA of the microorganisms, preventing them from reproducing and causing disease. UV disinfection is relevant because UV radiation is effective against a wide range of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses and protozoa such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium. A high inactivation rate can be achieved and most pathogenic organisms in the water can be killed. Unlike other disinfection methods such as chlorination or ozonation, UV disinfection does not require the addition of chemicals to the water. It produces no unwanted by-products and does not alter the taste or smell of the water. UV disinfection is a reliable method of killing microorganisms. As long as the UV lamp is properly maintained, the effectiveness of the disinfection remains constant. Since no chemicals are used in UV disinfection, there are no harmful residues in the water or the environment. It is an environmentally friendly disinfection method that reduces the ecological footprint of water treatment. It is important to note that UV disinfection is an effective method of killing microorganisms but is not used to remove pollutants, particles or chemical contaminants in the water.

The optional UV system is integrated into the plant's continuously operating recirculation system.

A pyrogen filter is a special type of filter used in water treatment to remove pyrogens from water. Pyrogens are substances that can cause an immunological reaction in the body, especially an increase in body temperature. They are usually endotoxins released by bacteria such as Escherichia coli (E. coli). The pyrogen filter consists of a filter element that has a very fine pore size, typically in the range of 0.1 to 0.2 microns. This allows the filter to effectively retain particles and microorganisms, including pyrogenic bacteria that may be present in the water. In the modular water treatment system, the pyrogen filter is used after other pre-treatment stages such as filtration and disinfection.

After the water has been cleaned of particles and microorganisms, it is passed through the pyrogen filter to remove possible pyrogens. Pyrogen filters are particularly important in industries where the absence of pyrogens in the water is crucial, for example in the ambulatory care sector to ensure optimal quality of instrumentation for surgery. Overall, pyrogen filters play an important role in water treatment to ensure the quality and purity of water and to minimise potential exposure to pyrogenic substances.

The optional pyrogen filter is located directly behind the UV unit and can thus also be integrated into the unit's continuously operating recirculation system.

The lifting system is used for the reliable discharge of the wastewater volumes from the individual process steps. The main volume flows are the wastewater from the regeneration of the softening plant and the concentrate from the reverse osmosis. The lifting unit also collects the discontinuously occurring wastewater flows from the silicate meter, the system separator and the rinsing water that occurs when the input filters (especially activated carbon filters) are changed.

The use of a lifting unit is recommended if the wastewater pipes cannot be connected to a ground-level wastewater connection.

Data acquisition as well as its visualisation and processing are only some of the relevant topics in the environment of modern water treatment. The networking of different measuring systems and their integration into the process automation is an elementary component. The NeoTecMaster® was developed specifically for this task and is a multi-parameter system that is open to all manufacturers.