Pre-treatment
Conditions the water before the membranes — solids, chlorine, hardness and organic compounds.
FRP Tanks
Pressurized vertical tanks that hold the filter media. High chemical and pressure resistance.
- Capacity from 50 to 5,000 liters
- ASME-rated design for working pressure
Filter media
Layered combination that retains suspended solids >20 µm.
- Silica sand — main retention
- Anthracite — fine filtration
- Support gravel — flow distribution
Activated carbon
Removes free chlorine (critical for membranes), odors, taste and volatile organic compounds.
- Granular (GAC) of vegetable origin
- Service life 1–3 years depending on chlorine load
Ion exchange resins
Soften or demineralize depending on the source water problem.
- Cationic (softener) — reduce Ca/Mg hardness
- Anionic — polishing of treated water
- Regeneration with NaCl or acid/base
5 µ filters
Polypropylene cartridges — last safety barrier before the membranes.
- Replacement every 1–3 months per water quality
- Standard Big Blue or industrial housings
Chemical dosing
Additives that protect membranes and maintain the chemical balance of the process.
Antiscalant
Prevents CaCO₃, CaSO₄ and SiO₂ scaling on the membranes.
- Typical dose: 2–5 ppm
- Allows higher recovery without scaling
Metabisulfite
Reduces free chlorine before membranes (chlorine destroys polyamide).
- Stoichiometric dose to inlet chlorine
- Alternative to activated carbon at high flow rates
pH adjustment
NaOH or HCl to bring pH into the optimal membrane range.
- NaOH for acidic waters
- HCl for alkaline or bicarbonate-rich waters
Dosing pumps
Inject chemicals proportionally to flow rate.
- Electromagnetic (accuracy, low flow)
- Piston (high pressure, higher flow)
- Control via 4–20 mA signal or pulse
Reverse Osmosis
The heart of the system — semipermeable membranes and housings that hold them under pressure.
RO Membranes
Spiral-wound semipermeable membranes that separate salts and contaminants from the feed water.
- ULP-4040 — ultra-low pressure, standard use (4" × 40")
- Brackish — higher salinity, higher rejection
- Seawater — marine desalination, up to 1,200 PSI
- DuPont FilmTec · Hydranautics · Toray
Housings
Pressurized vessels holding the membranes. Withstand working pressure and saline environment.
- Material FRP — Fiber Reinforced Plastic
- Size 4" × 40" (1 membrane per housing)
- Nominal pressure 150–600 PSI depending on model
- Side-port for feed, permeate and reject
Electrical
Control panels and pumps — the plant's electrical and pumping system.
Electrical panels
Electrical control and automation. Designed for the required power, degree of automation and operating environment.
- Single-phase 220V (small plants, up to 3.7 HP)
- Three-phase 380V (medium and large plants)
- Thermal, magnetic and phase-sequence protections
- Optional variable frequency drive (VFD)
Pumps
Feed, high-pressure and dosing pumps depending on their role in the process.
- Vertical multistage (feed, low/standard pressure)
- Reinforced centrifugal (high pressure 30–70 bar)
- PCN axial piston (seawater desalination 70–120 bar+)
- AISI 316L construction for saline service
Plumbing and hydraulics
Piping, fittings and connections selected by working pressure and saline environment.
PVC Schedule 80
Rigid piping for low pressure and treated water. Economical and resistant to saline corrosion.
- Pressure up to 150 PSI
- Used in pre-treatment and permeate lines
PEX
Flexible piping for residential treated water distribution.
- Flexible — fast installation
- Crimp or push-fit connections
316L stainless steel
For high pressure and services with high salt content (marine desalination).
- Pressure up to 1,200 PSI
- Resistant to chlorides and saline corrosion
Fittings and clamps
Connections, check valves, gaskets and mechanical clamps.
- Threaded, welded or Victaulic type
- Materials per pressure and chemical compatibility
Automation
Valves and controllers that execute the process logic — start, stop, backwash, alarms.
Valves
Automated open/close of process circuits.
- Solenoid (110/220V) — fast actuation
- Motorized (gear motor) — high pressure
- Multi-port (multimedia/carbon backwash)
PLC controllers
The brain of the plant — operating sequence, alarm logic and interface.
- PLC Siemens / Mitsubishi / Schneider
- Touch HMI for plant operator
- Modbus / Ethernet / RS-485 communication
Biological treatment
Disinfection of treated water — microorganism removal without residual chemicals.
UV lamps
Sterilization by ultraviolet radiation (254 nm). Inactivates bacteria, viruses and protozoa without altering taste.
- Capacity from 6 to 80 gpm
- Lamp service life: ~9,000 hours
- Essential in drinking water and rural water supply (APR)
Instrumentation and sensors
The plant's eyes — measure and report flow, pressure, conductivity, pH and level.
Flow measurement
Turbine, paddle-wheel or electromagnetic flow meters.
- Range 0.5–500 L/min
- Pulse or 4–20 mA output
Pressure gauges
Visual indicators and electronic transmitters.
- Glycerin-filled gauges — vibration resistant
- 4–20 mA transmitters for PLC integration
Conductivity / TDS
Measures treated water quality in real time.
- Sensors on feed, permeate and reject
- Auto-alert if TDS exceeds threshold
pH and level
Chemical-physical water control and tank status.
- pH electrodes with automatic compensation
- Ultrasonic or float level sensors
Monitoring and IoT
Remote telemetry — supervision, alerts and history of the plant from web or mobile dashboards.
4G / LoRa gateways
Wireless transmission devices from the plant to the cloud.
- 4G LTE — national coverage
- LoRa — remote sites, low power
- Modbus / SCADA integrable
Dataloggers
Locally record and store operating data.
- Local buffer in case of connection failure
- Auto-sync once signal is restored
Web dashboards
Real-time visualization and configurable alerts.
- Flow, pressure, TDS, operating hours
- WhatsApp / Email alerts
- Compatible with DGA reports for wells