With a firm grasp on evolving regulatory standards and a commitment to practical innovation, Vicol provides clients with more than just purified water, they deliver confidence, compliance, and consistency. Let’s take a closer look at how these systems work, why they matter, and how Vicol continues to set the benchmark for purity in performance.

1. The Imperative of Water Purity

Pharmaceutical Industry: Precision You Can Trust

In the pharmaceutical world, water isn’t just an ingredient, it’s a critical raw material used in manufacturing, cleaning, and product formulation. From sterile injectables to oral solutions, every drop must meet strict regulatory requirements to prevent contamination and ensure product efficacy.

Pharmaceutical manufacturers typically rely on Purified Water (PW) and Water for Injection (WFI) systems, both of which demand the highest standards of purity. These systems must comply with guidelines from SAHPRA, WHO, and current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) standards.

A reliable purification system in this sector ensures that:

• Bacteria, endotoxins, and organic impurities are removed.
• Production lines remain sterile and audit-ready.
• Consistency is maintained across every batch, safeguarding patient health.

Vicol’s pharmaceutical water purification systems are custom-engineered for compliance and performance. Their process covers everything from plant and process design to turnkey installations, commissioning, validation, and operator training. With a strong emphasis on HAZOP studies, risk assessments, and complete documented quality control, Vicol ensures that every installation performs with precision.

In short, Vicol helps pharmaceutical manufacturers mitigate operational risks, maintain stringent standards, and produce with confidence knowing their water systems meet the industry’s toughest demands.

Beverage Industry: Purity That Protects the Brand

In the beverage sector, water defines flavour, clarity, and safety. Whether producing soft drinks, bottled water, or alcoholic beverages, the quality of water determines both product taste and consumer trust.

Beverage manufacturers use purification systems to remove unwanted minerals, chlorine, and organic compounds that could alter flavour or cause inconsistencies between production runs. At the same time, these systems must meet food-grade safety standards to ensure consumer health.

Vicol’s beverage water purification systems are tailor-made for efficiency and performance. Each design incorporates:

• Membrane technologies like Microfiltration (MF), Ultrafiltration (UF), and Reverse Osmosis (RO).
• Media filtration such as sand, multimedia, and activated carbon filtration.
• Oxidation and distillation processes where required for product-specific purity.

Beyond the technology, Vicol’s accountability-first philosophy ensures that they only take on projects they can deliver to full success. Their solutions help beverage producers maintain consistency, reduce downtime, and achieve long-term cost savings all while meeting regulatory and taste standards that define brand reputation.

2. Unpacking the Purification Journey

Water purification is far more than filtration, it’s a layered, fine-tuned process, where each stage plays a crucial role in achieving reliability, compliance, and efficiency.

2.1 Pre-Treatment: Laying the Foundation

Pre-treatment is where the journey to purity begins. This stage prepares raw water for the demanding processes that follow and protects delicate downstream components from fouling or scaling.

Typical pre-treatment steps include:

• Filtration: Removes suspended particles and solids.
• Softening: Prevents mineral scaling that could damage equipment.
• Activated Carbon Filtration: Eliminates chlorine and chloramines that degrade membranes.
• Antiscalant Dosing: Protects against mineral build-up within reverse osmosis systems.

By perfecting these foundations, Vicol ensures that the system runs efficiently, and the costly RO membranes are safeguarded from damage, extending system life and reducing maintenance costs.

2.2 Core Purification Components: The Heart of the System

After pre-treatment, the core purification stage refines water to pharmaceutical or beverage-grade quality. Each component contributes to a different aspect of purity:

• Reverse Osmosis (RO): Removes dissolved salts, organics, and most microorganisms.
• Ultrafiltration (UF): Targets colloids, bacteria, and viruses.
• Electrodeionization (EDI): Polishes water by removing residual ions without chemicals.
• UV Sterilization: Neutralises microbes and trace organics.
• Ozone or Heat Sanitization: Keeps distribution loops sterile and biofilm-free.
• Sanitary Storage & Distribution: Maintains purity through polished stainless-steel piping, controlled flow design, and minimal “dead legs.”

These technologies work together seamlessly, resulting in water that consistently meets the highest quality standards ready for sensitive manufacturing applications.

2.3 Design as Assurance: Building Purity from the Ground Up

For Vicol, design isn’t just about function, it’s about foresight. Each system is engineered with a deep understanding of regulatory frameworks, operational goals, and maintenance needs.

Vicol handles every stage of the process:

• Design: Comprehensive plant and process design tailored to each client’s needs.
• Construction & Installation: Full turnkey installations managed in-house for accountability and control.
• Configuration & Commissioning: Fine-tuned setups that ensure optimal system performance.
• Training & Support: Operator training, documentation, and post-sales service to maintain compliance and efficiency.

Our systems comply with standards from SANS, WHO, SAHPRA, and cGMP, ensuring readiness for audits and inspections at any time. With a focus on both scalability and cost-efficiency, Vicol designs systems that are not only compliant today but adaptable to future growth.

4. Real-World Demonstrations of Performance

Twin-Pass RO System for a Pharmaceutical Company

In June 2022, Vicol successfully implemented a twin-pass RO system for a leading pharmaceutical manufacturer in South Africa. The project highlighted the company’s ability to balance technical sophistication with strict regulatory compliance.

The client required a system that could meet rigorous SAHPRA and cGMP requirements while reducing energy consumption and downtime. Vicol’s solution delivered high recovery rates, minimal maintenance, and consistent water quality, allowing the client to streamline operations while remaining audit-ready.

Check out the full story here: https://vicol.co.za/client-success-story-pw-system-for-pharma-company/

PW System for a Beverage Company

In another standout project, Vicol designed and installed a Purified Water (PW) system for a major beverage producer. The system was engineered to ensure uniform product taste and texture across every batch, critical for brand consistency.

Through a combination of Reverse Osmosis, Ultrafiltration, and Activated Carbon Filtration, Vicol’s team achieved exceptional water quality that met both local and international beverage standards. The installation also featured operator training and HAZOP studies, ensuring the client’s team could manage and maintain the system with confidence.

Check out the full story here: https://vicol.co.za/client-success-story-pw-system-for-beverage-company/

4. Why Thoughtful Design Matters

Regulatory Compliance: Built In, Not Bolt-On

At Vicol, compliance is woven into every design, not treated as an afterthought. The team continuously studies changes in SANS, SAHPRA, WHO, and cGMP guidelines to ensure all systems remain aligned with current regulations. This proactive approach guarantees that clients benefit from built-in compliance, not reactive corrections.

Operational Intelligence

Vicol’s solutions go beyond mechanical design, they integrate operational intelligence. Each system is optimized for energy and water efficiency, designed to minimize maintenance, and built to support predictive servicing. This ensures improved uptime, reduced lifetime costs, and sustainable operations.

Adaptable Infrastructure

Manufacturers’ needs evolve. Vicol designs systems with expandability and modularity in mind, allowing clients to scale their purification capacity as production demands grow without costly overhauls or downtime.

Lifecycle Resilience

Durability is a core design principle. Vicol’s systems are built with robust materials, smart engineering, and thoughtful design that ensure fewer unplanned disruptions and longer operational lifespans.

5. Vicol’s Edge: More Than Just Equipment

Deep Industry Insight

With more than 20 years of experience, Vicol combines engineering precision with an intimate understanding of industry-specific challenges. Their knowledge of pharmaceutical and beverage standards ensures that every project balances compliance with performance excellence.

South African Presence, Global Standards

Vicol is proudly South African, with local support and global-level design expertise. This combination allows us to deliver world-class purification systems backed by accessible, on-the-ground service and support.

A Collaborative Client Approach

At Vicol, collaboration isn’t a buzzword it’s a cornerstone. Each project begins with a thorough understanding of the client’s objectives and constraints. Whether it’s launching a new installation or adapting an existing system, Vicol works side-by-side with clients to create practical, reliable, and future-ready water purification solutions.

6. Looking Ahead: Purity as Promise

The demand for clean, reliable water has never been greater. In both the pharmaceutical and beverage industries, water purification systems are the silent guardians of safety, consistency, and trust.

At Vicol, that responsibility is taken personally. With systems designed for compliance, performance, and longevity, we provide clients with a promise of purity that endures today and into the future.

7. Final Reflections

Water is far more than H₂O, it’s the invisible force behind quality, safety, and performance. Every stage, from pre-treatment to distribution, plays a role in ensuring purity. Through custom design, regulatory insight, lifecycle foresight, and local expertise, Vicol (Pty) Ltd delivers purification systems that don’t just meet industry standards, they redefine them.

Ready for purity engineered with purpose?
Connect with Vicol (Pty) Ltd to design, validate, and install water systems built for excellence.

The post Behind the Filter: Understanding Water Purification Systems appeared first on Vicol.

In the pharmaceutical sector, water isn’t just a refreshment, it’s an essential raw material used in everything from equipment sterilisation to product formulation. Within this highly regulated environment, different types of purified water are required for different applications. These include Purified Water (PW), Water for Injection (WFI), and Highly Purified Water (HPW), each with its own stringent specifications.

Meeting these requirements is non-negotiable. Regulatory authorities like the World Health Organization (WHO), the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA), and cGMP frameworks define exacting standards for water purity, microbial content, and system performance. Failure to comply can halt production, lead to costly product recalls, or worse, compromise patient safety.

In this article, we explore the water purification process, delve into the specific methods used in pharmaceutical applications, and explain why choosing the right system design and the right partner is crucial to success.

Understanding the Water Purification Process

Water purification systems used in pharmaceutical manufacturing go beyond basic filtration. These multi-step processes are meticulously engineered to remove particulates, dissolved solids, organic compounds, bacteria, endotoxins, and other contaminants.

The core stages of a pharmaceutical-grade water purification system typically include:

• Pretreatment (to remove chlorine, particulates, and hardness)
• Primary purification (such as Reverse Osmosis)
• Polishing steps (like Electrodeionization or distillation)
• Distribution and sanitisation (to maintain water quality through to the point of use)

Each step plays a vital role in achieving the required water quality and maintaining it consistently throughout the production process.

Purifying Potable Water for Pharmaceutical Use

A Multi-stage Challenge Purifying potable water for pharmaceutical use is not as simple as passing it through a filter. It requires a carefully constructed system, designed to comply with international standards while also addressing real-world business needs like reliability, cost-effectiveness, and low maintenance.

The components and configuration of a water purification system must do more than meet compliance, they must streamline production, reduce operating expenses, and deliver consistent performance over the long haul. In other words, the system needs to work hard, work smart, and work long.

The Pretreatment Process

Pretreatment is the foundation of any effective pharmaceutical water purification system. If untreated feed water enters sensitive purification stages like Reverse Osmosis or EDI, it can damage components, reduce efficiency, and compromise output quality.

Pretreatment often includes several key steps:

• Filtration: Removes suspended solids using multimedia or cartridge filters to prevent fouling of downstream membranes.
• Water Softening: Eliminates calcium and magnesium ions to reduce scaling on RO membranes.
• Activated Carbon Filtration: Removes chlorine and chloramines, which can degrade membranes and other purification media.
• Antiscalant Dosing: Chemical treatment to prevent scale formation and membrane blockage.

Proper pretreatment improves the performance and longevity of the entire purification system, reduces maintenance costs, and enhances compliance by delivering consistently clean feed water.

Components Within a Water Purification System

Each component in a pharmaceutical water purification system serves a specific purpose:

• Reverse Osmosis (RO): Uses semi-permeable membranes to remove 95-99% of dissolved salts, bacteria, and organics.
• Ultrafiltration (UF): Removes bacteria, viruses, and colloids while allowing essential ions to pass. Often used before or after RO depending on the application.
• Electrodeionization (EDI): Polishes RO permeate to achieve ultra-pure water by removing residual ions using electric current and ion-selective membranes.
• UV Sterilisation: Deactivates microbes and breaks down trace organics, acting as a key sanitisation step.
• Ozonation and Heat Sanitisation: Used in distribution loops to prevent microbial growth and biofilm formation.
• Storage & Distribution Systems: High-purity water must be stored and delivered through sanitised stainless steel piping with smooth interior surfaces and minimal dead legs.

Careful selection and integration of these components is essential to building a robust, compliant system that maintains water quality from purification to point-of-use.

The Importance of System Design

Designing a pharmaceutical water purification system is not just an engineering exercise, it’s a compliance strategy.

Regulatory Standards

Pharmaceutical authorities require water systems to meet strict microbiological and chemical specifications. Regulatory frameworks such as:

• WHO’s Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
• SAHPRA guidelines
• European Pharmacopoeia
• United States Pharmacopeia (USP)

…define the physical, chemical, and microbial properties of each water grade used in manufacturing. Non-compliance can result in failed audits, loss of production licenses, or worse.

Custom vs Off-the-Shelf Solutions

Pre-packaged water purification systems may seem attractive for their convenience or upfront cost, but they often fall short in pharmaceutical environments. They lack the flexibility to adapt to site-specific challenges, scaling requirements, and nuanced compliance needs.

A robust, well-designed system:

• Meets current operational demands
• Anticipates future expansion
• Reduces maintenance and downtime
• Ensures documentation and traceability for validation

The Vicol Advantage

Vicol (Pty) Ltd stands apart by engineering systems that go beyond compliance. We design, manufacture, and install custom water purification systems that meet global standards and support your long-term success. Our experts understand the chemistry, engineering, and regulatory frameworks required for excellence, from source water to final distribution.

Key Benefits of Using Custom Water Purification Solutions

Choosing a custom-engineered solution offers several tangible benefits:

• Regulatory Confidence: Systems are built with compliance in mind, not as an afterthought.
• Operational Efficiency: Optimised configurations reduce energy, water, and maintenance costs.
• Scalability: Systems can be expanded or upgraded as your production needs grow.
• System Longevity: Premium materials and smart design mean fewer breakdowns and lower lifecycle costs.
• Tailored Maintenance Plans: Predictive maintenance and remote monitoring options extend system life and reduce unplanned outages.

Conclusion

Pharmaceutical manufacturing is one of the most rigorously regulated industries in the world, and for good reason, patient safety depends on it. Water used in production processes must meet exacting purity standards at every stage.

This level of purity can’t be achieved with a generic solution. It requires a tailored approach, one that considers the chemistry of your feed water, the layout of your facility, your production goals, and the long-term sustainability of your operations.

Choosing the right purification partner is as important as the system itself.

It’s Not Just Equipment — It’s Assurance by Design

With the right materials, intelligent configurations, and industry insight, Vicol helps clients avoid compliance risks, lower operational costs, and secure long-term water quality.

Let’s build smarter, cleaner, and compliant water purification systems, together.

Reach out to Vicol (Pty) Ltd today to begin your tailored solution.

The post Water Purification in the Pharmaceutical Industry: Why System Design and Supplier Expertise Matter appeared first on Vicol.

Vicol was recently contacted by a pharmaceutical company seeking modifications to enhance their current water purification system. The plant, commissioned in 2018, is slated for improvements aimed at boosting efficiency and fortifying the system to ensure its microbiological integrity.

The requested upgrades encompass:

• Inclusion of Ultra Violet light disinfection assembly
• Cooling & temperature regulation of the RO plant
• Upgrade of pre-treatment process

The post Client Success Story: Modifying Pharma Water Purification System appeared first on Vicol.

Before any bottled water reaches the fridges of our local stores, manufacturers will need to secure a water source that can be purified and bottled. There are various different water sources used across the beverage industry, such as groundwater, springs, rivers, wells, municipal tap water and many other kinds. This water needs to meet certain purity levels and taste expectations; so, it goes through a rigorous purification process.

Water bottling facilities will use water filtration systems to remove any unwanted contaminants, compounds and particles. These processes range from reverse osmosis and to deionization and UV treatments – or, even, desalination processes for seawater are used. Water purification companies and beverage companies will use one or more of these filtration techniques that will depend on the composition of the source water and consumer demand.

Beverage companies will need to be thoughtful when choosing what water sources are best to supply their needs. The choice of water source can impact the profitability, quality and sustainability of any beverage production and, in particular, bottled waters need to reach consumer standards that make it competitive in such a tough market. Beverage companies should be careful who they partner with, where they get their water from and the type of filtration required.

A purer water source that requires less filtration, has a reliable supply and tastes good to begin with will always improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of the final product. With that in mind, let us take a look at the what makes bottled water so different from regular tap water:

Purification Processes and Filtration Methods

Whatever purification processes are used and whichever water source your company selects, your products (and source ingredients) are going to be under serious scrutiny from regulatory agencies and consumers. If your bottled water has a strange or unpleasant taste, it will not do well in a very competitive market. Reverse osmosis, microfiltration, UV treatments, oxidation and activated carbon are all popular techniques, but different processes will work in different contexts.

Filtration methods help purify water sources and remove various organic and inorganic compounds from the water. This helps improve the flavour, ensure consumer safety and pass all regulatory product requirements, while procuring water from different sources. Each process provides unique benefits to the water being purified and bottled. It will depend on what a beverage company needs from their water purification partner and customers.

Membrane filtration systems, for example, are particularly effective at removing metals and deionising water sources. On the other hand, activated carbon removes most chlorine and chlorine by-product remnants from municipal water sources very capably. Even further, reverse osmosis in combination with remineralisation or with the addition of flavourants is celebrated for creating wonderfully flavoured bottled waters.  Ozonation helps remove any odours and colour from the water while also disinfecting the product without leaving a residual in the final product. . It all depends on what is needed to turn your water supply into clean and delicious drinking water.

There are two types of bottled water that are most popular: spring water and purified water. It might seem like a pure and natural spring water would be the preferred drink over purified water. However, the truth is that purified bottled water is more popular with and reliable for consumers. The regulatory and consumer protection requirements ensure that purified waters are more consistent in terms of availability, taste and quality.

What Makes Bottled Water So Different from Tap Water?

Although tap water will face much of the same scrutiny and regulation as bottled water, the fact is that tap water will seldom secure a taste preference over purified waters. In South Africa, we boast some of cleanest, safest and most dependable municipal water sources on the planet. Even with this impressive attribute, bottled water is still considered tastier and more consistent.

Different regulatory agencies will have similar standards for anything that we consume; namely, that municipal water suppliers, water purifiers and beverage companies need to guarantee that the water they provide is safe for humans and the planet. It is important to remember that bottled water has higher expectations from consumers because we do not want to pay an increased cost for water that does not taste better than our taps at home.

The quality of the water being used, bottled or sold by beverage companies needs to be of the highest standards possible. It undergoes more thorough testing and its standards for organic or inorganic compounds, such as bacteria and disinfection products, are far more demanding. Bottled water has a more reliable taste and flavour than tap water, as well as popular water brands being widely available across South African municipalities.

Conclusion

Whatever your company’s water purification needs are, Vicol offers industry-leading custom turnkey water purification solutions for all industries across South Africa, including custom designs, manufacturing, system installation, maintenance and delivery. Our services are conducted by experts in the field and always prioritise customer service delivery, affordability and reliability.

For more information about our outstanding water purification solutions and how we can help support your business, contact Vicol today.

The post What Makes Bottled Water So Different from Tap Water? appeared first on Vicol.

The pharmaceutical industry, in particular, is heavily dependent on a reliable, safe and sustainable supply of purified water. One of the main processes required by the pharmaceutical industry is water for injection (WFI) systems that provide some of the highest quality water available on the planet. The main difference between WFI and other purification processes is that WFI produces water that meets much stricter regulatory controls and standards.

When it comes to WFI, pharmaceutical companies require a deeper removal of unwanted particulates and compounds from their water sources. Even though many of the bacteria, organic compounds and minerals present in the municipal supply are not harmful to humans – in fact, many are beneficial to us – can be detrimental to the very delicate manufacturing processes conducted by pharmaceutical companies. As WFI is used in the preparation of parenthal products such as IV’s and injectables an extremely low bacterial and endotoxin (cellular wall of dead bacteria cells) levels are stringently enforced to ensure patient safety.

That is why we have even more sophisticated water purification processes in order to generate, WFI, for the pharmaceutical industry. WFI generation processes produce water that can meet the most rigorous and toughest quality control. Water purification partners help pharmaceutical companies manufacture the best possible quality drugs and medicines. However, that also requires careful transportation and storage to ensure it remains within required specifications after it goes through several purification processes.

Not every manufacturing operation in the pharmaceutical sector requires WFI-level purity from their water, but when they do, it is absolutely critical that their water purification partners meet their exacting standards. WFI goes through many of the same processes as other Purified Waters and waters for consumption, however it will always include additional processes such as Ultrafiltration and/or Ultraviolet radiation to ensure compliance with WFI standards.

Let us take a look at some of what is required of water purification systems and processes to reach the purity level of WFI for use in the pharmaceutical industry:

Deionisation Techniques

The process of dissolved ionic and molecular removal is critical in WFI purification processes as it removes a variety of unwanted particulates, organic compounds, minerals and living organisms from the water source. Ion rejection allows the water to pass through some kind of membrane or filtration system and leave behind unwanted particulates and compounds. This is done using one of three common deionisation techniques: membrane systems, distillation methods and ion exchange processes.

Ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis membranes have revolutionised the way we purify water for the preparation of WFI for the pharmaceutical industry. They – in conjunction with other technologies – have made the deionisation and purification of water a more precise and effective process. Water purification companies rely on these systems to ensure they can reach the purity levels and high standards requirement for pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Dechlorination Processes

Prior to the processes of double-pass reverse osmosis, Ultrafiltration or other distillation techniques required in preparing WFI the feed water is dechlorinated. This refers to the removal of chlorine from the original potable water source. Specific methods, such as UV radiation, reducing agents like sodium metabisulfite and carbon filtration, are used to remove any chlorine remnants that could damage the sensitive membrane processes used to generate water for Pharmaceutical use.

The most common dechlorination strategy in the industry is to run that water through an activated carbon filtration system that attaches to and reacts with the chlorine molecules. This reaction forms carbon monoxide or hydrochloric acid that are easy to remove from the water source and effectively removes all chlorine. Additionally, UV rays can be used for TOC reduction and for sterilisation during pre-treatment steps prior to the main purification processes.

Bacteria Control and Removal

Pharmaceutical water for injection is of the highest quality, but can still be susceptible to a variety of common bacteria that thrive in water. In order to ensure that the water is microbially free as it was going through the WFI purification processes, that water must be free of any unwanted bacteria. Bacterium build-up will often occur during the processing, storage or delivery phases of producing WFI for pharmaceutical use.

There are many antibacterial techniques used by water purification companies that include: UV lights, ozone generation, heating, recirculation and chemical injection systems. UV lights are a popular form of bacteria control and provide an effective, non-invasive, and non-chemical means of removing unwanted bacteria from purified water at any stage in the production, storage, and delivery of water for injection.

WFI Storage and Distribution

As we have mentioned, storage and distribution are crucial to the success of purification processes for WFI. It does not matter if you can purify the highest quality water on the planet; if you cannot keep that water microbially stable, safe, and uncontaminated during the storage and distribution process. This is where pharmaceutical company owners and managers need to ensure they select the right partner for their water purification needs.

Water purification businesses will have a rigorous and precise process for creating WFI-level water and delivering that product on time and consistently. However, it is important that they have an equally detailed procedure for what they do with your water between their purification facility and your manufacturing facility. Choosing the right water purification partner could be the difference between world-class pharmaceuticals and ones that cannot pass strict regulatory requirements.

Conclusion

Ensuring that the water used in your pharmaceutical operations is up to standard and meets all industry regulations can become a difficult task without the right supplier. Vicol offers industry-leading custom turnkey water purification solutions for the global pharmaceutical industry, including custom designs, manufacturing, system installation and maintenance. For more information about how our incredible water purification solutions can help support your business, contact Vicol today.

The post Water for Injection (WFI) Preparation for Use in the Pharmaceutical Industry appeared first on Vicol.

The post Client Success Story: PW System for Beverage Company appeared first on Vicol.

There are very few industries that can compete with the food and beverage industry’s demand for water purification services. Producing consumable goods is a non-negotiable part of South Africa’s economy, but still faces standards and regulations that make producing foods and beverages very heavily controlled. This means that food and beverage companies should hold the most exacting standards from their water purification service providers.

A water purification process that meets these requirements and is suited to the specifications of a particular company helps food and beverage businesses produce products with the consistency their consumers expect. Whether you are producing goods that include water as a key ingredient or selling bottled water for mass consumption, the level of water purity will be a determining quality and success of those goods.

Cleaning, wastewater treatment, decontamination, cooling and heating, cooking and onsite water usage are just some of the additional ways that food and beverage companies are using water purification processes. Whatever the requirements, the services provided for these businesses need to be consistent and dependable to keep up with the regulatory standards of the industry. Let us look at how water purification solutions are utilised by food and beverage companies:

Water Purification for Food Production

Water, as you can imagine, is a very common ingredient that is used in the cooking, manufacturing and production of an endless variety of food products. Whether as a direct ingredient or as part of the cooking process, water is critical to the making of most foods we eat. As such, the treated water used for producing foods for market will need to be of a very high quality, taste and consistency.

Meeting government requirements, industry regulations and consumer expectations mean that owners and managers know exactly what they need from their water purification partners. This extends beyond regulatory requirements; food companies will expect their purified water to taste good and be appropriately softened. Pure water as an ingredient is not all they need specific water types to operate, they also require water for cleaning, machinery and personnel use.

Water Purification for Beverages and Bottling 

Bottled water and most beverages will require processed water as an ingredient or as the product, itself. Most beverages will use tap water from their local municipality to start their production. After this, they will treat that tap water through one of several processes. These purification methods improve the water being used by removing any hardness, heavy metals, microorganisms or unwanted minerals that could alter the taste a critical ingredient.

Whether the purified water, in question, is intended for bottling and direct consumption or if that water is being used to produce other beverages, the composition and taste of the water will be critical to the final product. Companies will add their own secret combinations of minerals, carbonation, sugars, syrups, flavourings and food colouring to make all of the many beverages we know and love.

Bottled (Purified) Water Compared to Tap Water

If bottled waters and tap waters usually come from the same source, the question remains: why does bottled water end up tasting so much better than tap water? It comes down to the purification processes used and the mineral composition of the water. Water purification solutions will use one or several water purifications, sterilisation, softening, or filtration methods to change tap water composition to make it tastier, safer and purer.

Common Purification Processes Used in the Food and Beverage Industry

There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to water purification services for the food and beverage industry. Each company and each product will have its own requirements that give products their unique flavour and essence – and this includes the water treatment. There are three main water treatment processes that are used in the food and beverage industry, these are: membrane systems, media filtration and distillation processes.

Membrane Systems – these systems include processes, such as microfiltration, ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis and are known for their purity, taste and reliability for producers of consumable products.

Media Filtration: these treatments include processes, such as sand and multimedia, activated carbon and oxidation processes and are used in many commercial and industrial operations.

Make sure to sample all types of water used and to ensure the treatment processes used for your business will help manufacture the best final product possible. Knowing what purification processes will work best, in your part of the food and beverage industry, could be the difference between you and your nearest competitors.

Whatever your company’s water purification needs are, Vicol offers industry-leading custom turnkey water purification solutions for all industries across South Africa, including custom designs, manufacturing, system installation, maintenance and delivery. Our services are conducted by experts in the field and always prioritise customer service delivery, affordability and reliability.

For more information about our outstanding water purification solutions and how we can help support your business, contact Vicol today.

The post Water Purification Is Critical to the Food and Beverage Industry appeared first on Vicol.

The post Vicol Installation Journey Part 2: Soft Drink Manufacturer in Gaborone, Botswana appeared first on Vicol.

For many years, the prescribed method of WFI generation by the European Pharmacopoeia included only for distillation. Distillation was typically paired with a distribution system operating at elevated temperatures. The challenge for most WFI users was that the stored and distributed water needed to be cooled for use. This combined with the energy needed to run distillation plants effectively led to an energy inefficient process.

By contrast the United States Pharmacopoeia had already deemed technologies other than distillation as acceptable for the generation of WFI. Therefore, they were able to present a proven track record detailing the safe and effective generation of WFI using alternative technologies.

The move by the European Pharmacopoeia, in early 2000s, to create the classification of “Highly Purified Water” was seen by most as an interim step to the approval of non-distillation based WFI generation. HPW, while having the same specifications as WFI, was permitted to be generated using alternative technologies, but was for selected use within the Pharmaceutical industry, mostly in the manufacture of APIs.

In April 2017, the much anticipated review of the monographs (0169) by the European Pharmacopoeia was published, which allowed for the use on non-distillation based technology for the purposes of WFI generation.

The significant benefits offered by the revision to WFI users are:

Energy Efficiency
Essentially, the non-distillation technologies use combinations of membrane and electro-deionisation technologies all of which generate WFI quality water at ambient temperatures. As a result, the heating and cooling elements used for the operation of distillation systems are no longer required.

Vicol Approach
Vicol has significant experience in the application of non-distillation based technologies within the pharmaceutical industry. Vicol has successfully built and commissioned numerous treatment plants complying with the USP specifications for both PW and WFI.

Drawing on this experience and based on information shared with international technology partners, Vicol engineers have designed a robust treatment approach. This approach combines Reverse Osmosis technology in a heat sanitisable format with the option of the inclusion of a pharma-compliant electro-deionisation module and integrated with a final ultra-filtration step to ensure consistent WFI generation.

The resultant treatment system conforms to the regulations and guidelines of the USP and EP and draws on reference publications as expressed in the ISPE. This results in a qualified system meeting the requirements of international and local regulatory bodies, such as SAHPRA.

Cost Effective
WFI can now be generated more cost-effectively since the utility requirements typical of distillation plants are no longer required.

The post The Transition to Ambient WFI Generation by the European Pharmacopoeia appeared first on Vicol.

Consistent water purity and access is important for quality control, regulatory compliance and consumer safety. It is critical that businesses and organisations are confident in their water supplies. Let us dive a little deeper into the importance of water purity for commercial and industrial applications:

Industries That Utilise Pure Water and Water Processing Applications

There are many industries and sectors that rely on water purification and processing to conduct their business. Here are just a few examples of the commercial and industrial applications of pure water:

Manufacturing and Production
Most manufacturing and production processes utilise large amounts of water. Manufacturing plants use water to produce, dilute, clean, cool, dissolve, fabricate, sanitise and treat – all of which are important steps in manufacturer operations. Having impure or unprocessed water could put businesses, their workers and their customers at risk. Ensuring a reliable supply of pure water is key for business growth, compliance and environmental and consumer safety.

Food and Beverage Industries
Those in the food and beverage industry will be well aware of how integral purified water is to the all steps in their production processes. Not to mention, water itself is now a consumable product through various purification, bottling and marketing efforts. The food and beverage industry requires ultra-pure water sources to comply with health and regulatory guidelines, as well as protect their consumers, production and business reputation.

Energy and Power Generation
Energy and power generation is a foundational – and, sometimes, contentious – piece of modern society and human development. It requires large amounts of resources that need to be used carefully and prepared properly. Water is used directly to facilitate hydroelectric electricity generation, but traditional energy production uses water for turbines, cooling towers, boilers and cleaning equipment, which are all reliant on a dependable supply of processed water.

Healthcare Providers and Pharmaceutical Companies
Hospitals, healthcare facilities, pharmaceutical companies and numerous other treatment centres require access to reliable, affordable and high-quality purified water. This helps medical facilities in their healthcare provision, medical manufacturers produce their medical supplies and pharmaceutical companies manufacture medicines. Onsite access to clean and potable water is important for healthcare providers and pharmaceutical companies, leading to many installing inhouse water purification systems.

Hospitality and Accommodation
With the rise in online accommodation booking platforms and post-pandemic travel excitement, the hospitality industry is preparing for a big comeback in the coming years. Before 2020, hospitality and accommodation accounted for millions of litres of water per day across South Africa. They require pure water supplies for consumption, cleaning, equipment and other daily operations that will play a huge role in the quality of service they are able to provide.

Educational Facilities and Organisations
Schools, universities, training centres and all manner of educational facilities are dependent on access to clean water for their operations. From drinking fountains and bathrooms to cleaning processes and class projects, there are many ways in which water allows an educational space to thrive. Beyond the everyday operations of a learning facility’s teaching efforts, there is also a residential component that is included in many South African high schools and universities.

Municipal Water Provision and Treatment
Water, much like roads or electricity, is a key part of what allows modern society to operate the way it does. Water is a requisite resource, human right and basic good that every person in South Africa – and, indeed, the world – needs and deserves access to. Municipal water supplies dependent on complex treatment and resource transportation processes to ensure residential, commercial, educational and medical properties are reliably supplied with clean and potable water.

Wastewater Treatment
Wastewater treatment processes are used to ‘clean’ water that can be reused or treat wastewater from factories and industrial processes to make it less harmful to the environment. The benefits of effective wastewater management are significant and impactful for the industrial sectors that utilise them. It reduces the amount of waste produced and released into the environment, limits water pollution in surrounding areas and removes harmful chemicals from wastewater; commonly, to produce reusable water.

The Importance of Water Treatment and Purification

As we have looked at, there are many commercial and industrial applications for pure water and having access to reliable and sustainable sources of purified water are critical for business operations. This might mean having a trustworthy water purification partner that supplies your business with the water you need. The other option is to build an onsite water treatment system that provides commercial properties with the type and supply of purified water they need.

Whatever your company’s water purification needs are, Vicol offers industry-leading custom turnkey water purification solutions for all industries across South Africa, including custom designs, manufacturing, system installation, maintenance and delivery. Our services are conducted by experts in the field and always prioritise customer service delivery, affordability and reliability.

For more information about our outstanding water purification solutions and how we can help support your business, contact Vicol today.

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