Designing and installing a water treatment solution – whether an RO or deionisation plant – is not a simple task, and a number of considerations need to be taken into account. Where will the new plant be installed? How long will installation and commissioning take? How can on-site contractor time be minimised?
Off-site fabricated solutions are a simple, yet often overlooked, option. A 20- or 40-foot container can house all the necessary equipment and plumbing for an installation, enabling off-site testing before delivery to the client. The container simply needs to be connected to the power and water infrastructure at the client’s premises and, following commissioning, it can be put to use straightaway. This approach to water treatment offers a number of significant advantages over conventional options.
A suitable, cost-saving space
Clients are often faced with two choices when it comes to an installation: build a completely new facility or re-purpose an existing space. Building projects are expensive, however, and are subject to unforeseen delays. In contrast, a containerised solution is only a fraction of the cost and simply needs to be laid on a concrete base large enough to accommodate it. The size of the container can also be chosen to adequately house the necessary equipment and optimise access for future maintenance, which is a much better alternative to cramming the new installation into an available, but inadequate, space.
Minimal on-site time
Many water treatment projects take place as part of a wide scale refurbishment or upgrade. Such complex projects, involving multiple contractors and lots of equipment, demand careful management and compliance with stringent H&S regulations in line with top tier COMAH (Control of Major Accident Hazards) requirements. Consequently, there are often long lead times for people coming on site, as the number of contractors working at any one time is tightly controlled. A prefabricated containerised solution eliminates the delivery of multiple pieces of equipment and subsequent installation and testing, minimising on-site time.
A smooth, fast process
Off-site fabrication offers more than simply convenient installation. When designing a water treatment plant, a client can visit and evaluate the proposed solution as it is being tested. This ensures that any foreseeable queries over design, performance, etc., are managed off-site, preventing on-site delays and guaranteeing a smoother commissioning process. In addition, off-site fabrication can take place in parallel with other parts of the refurbishment or upgrade, shortening the overall project timeline.
A viable alternative
An off-site fabricated solution offers many clients a much-desired alternative to building a new facility or trying to squeeze more into an inadequate space. In addition, a containerised installation delivers cost and time savings, as well as supporting a smoother testing process from initial design to on-site commissioning. As awareness grows, we can expect to see many future projects take advantage of this novel approach to delivering water treatment solutions on time, within budget, and with a minimum of on-site disruption.
Read an example of a containerised solution we provided to a global titanium dioxide producer, here.
