WATER SYSTEMS
systems are highly efficient and accessible too, as they are user-friendly and easy for nurses to operate – plus they can be heat-sanitised automatically to maximise safety. A complete double-pass system, including the reverse osmosis modules, can be heat disinfected at a temperature of up to 90 °C. In some systems, the downstream permeate ring main connected to the dialysis machines can heat disinfect in the same step, which means no ‘dead zones’ – areas where flow is reduced, and stagnant water can gather. There are further advantages to double-pass systems – standard water purification systems cannot cover large distances; therefore separate water treatment systems are required for different departments, but makers of double-pass systems can install media supply systems with sub-loops and pressure holding devices that make it possible for one double-pass system to provide dialysis permeate to, for example, both a Nephrology Department and an Intensive Care Unit, even if they are some distance apart.
Opportunities for improving water efficiency The NHS document, Delivering a ‘Net Zero’ National Health Service, recognises a range of opportunities to tackle climate change while delivering high-quality care and improving public health, including, in its estate and facilities, opportunities to improve water efficiency. To assist local authorities with their resource management policies, SUEZ’s water treatment experts offer numerous technical solutions for reusing purified wastewater, increasing available resources at a lower cost, while meeting industrial needs and reducing demand on natural water reserves. Even in hospitals, where water purity is vital, there are options to progress towards Net Zero
Suez says the ultra-pure water produced by a double-pass reverse osmosis system can significantly enhance the performance of kidney dialysis machines, where a high level of water purity is critical.
by considering wastewater reuse. In Bristol, Bristol University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust saw that the reverse osmosis water purification system provided for kidney dialysis resulted in large quantities of water being rejected. This rejected water was being sent to the drains, despite being perfectly clean, with a slightly raised mineral content, so a project was set in motion to capture the reject water produced by the children’s dialysis unit at the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, and direct it to the sump pump at the bottom of the Queen Elizabeth hospital building. The reject water is now used in the boilerhouse, where it is processed into steam, reducing the Trust’s mains water demand, and cutting its water supply and sewerage costs. Meanwhile, the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust has complemented initiatives such as the replacement of outdated and inefficient
fluorescent lights with more energy- efficient LEDs, with plans to harvest surplus wastewater from medical processes, as well as rainwater, to reuse as ‘grey water’ in toilets.
The UK’s biggest employer Since it was formed in 1948, the NHS has grown to become the UK’s single biggest employer, with 1.7 million workers across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Clearly, there are huge gains to be made across such a large organisation, but the Net Zero programme will only be achievable if the NHS works alongside the most expert suppliers to make sure that areas such as water purification are as energy-efficient as possible. We can then work together to deliver a Net Zero NHS that provides health and high-quality care for all, as well as protecting the planet, now, and for future generations.
Paul Haycock and SUEZ Water Purification Systems
Paul Haycock is a Business Development manager at SUEZ Water Purification Technologies. With around 30 years’ experience in the water and wastewater sectors, he is a specialist in the development, operation, and maintenance of water purification systems used in renal dialysis, sterile services, decontamination, and boiler feed. He has considerable experience in field service, having worked as a field service engineer, and led field service teams, ‘giving him a unique insight into the challenges faced by customers in both the NHS and private healthcare providers’. SUEZ Water Purification Systems – through its water purification activities (formerly known as Purite) – designs, develops, and manufactures water purification systems for use in both the healthcare and research sectors, and throughout industry. The company specialises in technologies including ion exchange, carbon adsorption, reverse osmosis, ultraviolet irradiation, electro- deionisation, and ultrafiltration. SUEZ ‘solutions’ can be supplied as standalone units or as fully integrated systems, with production capacities up to many thousands of litres per hour. In every case, the company provides full installation, technical, and service support. The SUEZ Water Purification Systems division has been established for over 40 years, and is part of the multinational SUEZ group, a major water solutions provider.
66 Health Estate Journal January 2022
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