An immunohistochemistry and cellular pathology laboratory, in one of the UK’s busiest hospitals, is now benefitting from the unique Water-as-a-Service (WaaS) offering from Veolia.

The lab, which operates 24/7 and delivers thousands of test results daily, required a new water treatment system but lacked the capital to purchase it outright. However, through the innovative and flexible approach of WaaS, the upgrade took place, and the facility is utilising industry-leading technology and specialist expertise from Veolia to maintain its large volumes of water with strict quality requirements.  

Located in one of the UK’s largest hospitals, the laboratory in question required 650 L/day of purified deionised water in order to feed eight staining platforms, which run 24 hours a day. These platforms play a crucial role in the detection of specific protein markers that can assist the classification and diagnosis of tumours. The facility also required a minimum of 300L of water to be kept in storage at all times and purified at point of dispense to ensure optimal quality. In addition, due to the nature of the work carried out by the lab, the treated water also had to be compliant with Clinical Laboratory Reagent Water (CLRW) standards and delivered through a single tap next to the purifier. 

However, after an extensive refurbishment and expansion of the facility, the capital was not available at the time to purchase and install a new water treatment system outright to meet increased demand. This is where the Veolia team provided a much-needed solution – by recommending its industry-leading technology in combination with its unique WaaS offering.

Unlike other water treatment solutions, WaaS only requires the client to pay for the treated water they use. This flexible, pay-as-you-go model allows the cost to be spread over a much longer period. Crucially, Veolia also takes on responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the water treatment asset, replenishing consumables and handling asset regeneration when necessary. All of this enables the client to keep CapEx to a minimum and take on minimal risk. 

At the heart of this particular WaaS offering for the UK laboratory was the CENTRA® R 200 HFV, which was tailored to the site’s needs. This powerful purification, storage and distribution system utilises a 200 L/hr reverse osmosis (RO) membrane that is ideal for localised high-throughput applications. Coupled with C940 deionisation cylinders – which contain a nuclear-grade resin that removes trace ionic impurities to sub-parts-per-billion levels – the system enables Veolia to guarantee the quality of the water produced. The new system at the laboratory now delivers 235m3 of Type II CLRW water per year, with a treated water quality of >10MW.cm at 25°C and <30 ppb TOC of organics. 

“WaaS was the ideal solution for the hospital laboratory – it allowed the team there to control capital costs without compromising on quality and reliability of pure water output,” said Etienne Arman, Veolia. 

“Furthermore, under a WaaS agreement – we operate the asset. It means the client never has to worry about maintenance or the replacement of consumables. What’s more, thanks to integration with our Hubgrade remote monitoring portal, we can optimise the system and use predictive analysis to pre-empt any issues. With our flexible approach, technology and support – clients get maximum value from engaging with us.” 

The portfolio from Veolia boasts an impressive 350 proprietary technologies, giving clients an unparalleled range of options that can be meticulously tailored to fit requirements.

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