The Hidden Costs of Purified Water

Purifying water for laboratory applications uses two vital and limited resources, water and electricity. Certain water purification techniques can be costly for the environment and for your pocket. If you use purified water for laboratory applications, it is important to be aware of the different water treatment methods so that you can choose a system which benefits both the environment and your budget.

There are different water purification techniques which use varying amounts of water and electricity. These techniques are water distillation, reverse osmosis and deionisation. Let’s explore each in terms of their hidden costs.

Water distillation is an old technique that has been widely used by laboratories for many years. Water stills are becoming increasingly expensive to run as they carry a high energy demand in a world where electricity costs continue to rise. The water distillation process is driven by condensation and evaporation which require in excess of 3.0KW to produce 4 litres of pure water an hour.

Reverse osmosis and deionisation are modern techniques that purify water by passing it through a reverse osmosis membrane and deionised resin. The process is driven by water pressure thereby cutting the energy consumption to less than 0.1KW. Water Purification systems that use these techniques are designed to conserve energy and water while meeting the laboratory pure water demand.

Responsible water purification system manufacturers that use reverse osmosis and deionisation water treatment methods are constantly looking for ways to conserve energy and water. SUEZ water purification systems now include additional features to help reduce the energy and water consumption even further:

The Stand-by mode features saves electricity when the unit is not producing water
The ECO Reverse Osmosis membrane recovers up to 50% of pure water thus reducing water consumption and waste.

In comparison to a water still that uses distillation, Suez water purifications systems offer energy and water saving of more than 80%.

When considering your next water purification system for your laboratory, always ask how much the system will cost you and the environment? Water Purifications systems from SUEZ will not only meet the demands of pure water quality and quantity for the laboratory but can also provide significant water and energy savings.

If you would like to learn more about responsible water purification, come and visit our SUEZ expert at the analytica Lab Africa exhibition.

- Meghan Magnussen, Product Manager - Instruments

September 4, 2019 | View: 684 | Categories: Instruments