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.

The post How Purified Water Is Utilised in Commercial and Industrial Applications appeared first on Vicol.

In this article, we will cover the different types of water that are used in the pharmaceutical industry, the challenges faced when selecting the correct water purification process for you and how Vicol (Pty) Ltd can help your company overcome them.

The 8 types of water used in the pharmaceutical industry

There are several types and grades of water that are used in the pharmaceutical industry’s manufacturing processes. Each grade adheres to the strict guidelines and standards set out by the global pharmacopeia’s regulatory bodies, such as USP, SANS, SAHPRA, WHO, EP and ISPE.

These types and grades of water are:

1. Non-potable water
   This type of water is of poor drinking quality and should not be consumed. However, it can still be used for many other purposes, depending on its quality, such as cleaning the interior or exterior of a factory, cooling systems, landscaping, irrigation, etc.

2. Potable (drinkable) water
   This type of water is not used in general pharmaceutical manufacturing, as it contains a considerable number of solids, such as chlorides, sulphates and bicarbonates (Na, K, CA, and Mg). However, it can still be used for general drinking water, washing and the extraction of crude drugs, as well as the preparation of products for external use.

3. USP purified water
   This type of water is utilised in the manufacturing and production of all medications containing water. This grade of water must meet all regulatory requirements for ionic and organic chemical purity and must be protected against microbial contamination during storage and transportation.

4. USP water for injection (WFI)
   This type of water is used as a solvent in the production of parenteral medications and other preparations where endotoxin content must be controlled. Since endotoxins are created by microorganisms that tend to inhabit water, the equipment and procedures used in the water purification system, to store and distribute WFI, must be designed to minimise microbial contamination. This includes the removal of incoming endotoxins from the standing water.

5. USP sterile water for injection
   This type of water must comply with the standards seen in the USP monographs for water for injection and should only be packaged in a single dose container, not more than 1-litre in size. The Total Organic Carbon (TOC) as per IP should be no more than 0.5 mg/litre. In contrast, the same limit of TOC for Water (500 PPB) in USP and BP.

6. LUSP sterile water for inhalation
   This type of water is prepared using WFI grade processes, that has then been packaged in type 1 or type 2 glass containers and rendered sterile. Its intended use is for inhalators and in the preparation of inhalation solutions. As it carries less stringent specifications for bacterial endotoxins than sterile WFI, it is therefore not suitable for parenteral applications.

7. USP bacteriostatic water for injection
   This type of water is used as a dilutant in parenteral products, mainly for multi-dosage medications requiring continuous contents withdrawal. It contains bacteriostatic (antimicrobial) agents and should always be packaged in single-dose containers or small multi-dose containers. These should be no larger than 5ml in size or in a multi-dose container no larger than 30ml.

8. USP sterile water for irrigation
   This type of water is prepared using the same WFI grade procedures and has been packaged and rendered sterile. This water is commonly used when sterile water is required but does not have particulate specifications, which includes wherever pure water or WFI is specified. It is typically stored in sterile containers larger than 1 litre.

The challenges faced when selecting the right water purification system

When a pharmaceutical company is looking for a water purification system or water supplier, they are often unsure of what they need or what solutions will work best in their manufacturing process. This leads to companies purchasing limited or basic water purification systems that do not meet the pharmaceutical company’s requirements, which can escalate to compromising operational efficiency, which will, in turn, affect their operating costs and production quality.

One of the most significant concerns expressed by pharmaceutical manufacturers across the globe is Total Organic Carbon (TOC), which is a key indicator to test for in water purification processes. Additionally, in the production of pharmaceutical products, microbial contamination is a large concern, as any organics or bacteria can affect the quality of the water and, ultimately, your products.

Water contaminants can materialise in the following ways:

1. Poor water purification system design
   It is important that pharmaceutical companies fully brief the water purification design team on the exact requirements needed for their manufacturing processes. Otherwise, what can end up happening is under-engineered systems are designed that do not meet the necessary water purification requirements set out by the USP, SANS, SAHPRA, WHO, EP and ISPE. These systems could also fail to include essential purification components, such as RO (Reverse Osmosis) filters, storage vessels, deionisation systems, UV technology and final filtration.

2. Poor distribution and water storage tank design
   Water purification distribution systems are often constructed from stainless steel, if passivation is not performed to prevent corrosion of the stainless-steel pipes, possible contaminants from the pipes could enter the water. The same material is used in the design and creation of water storage tanks, however, if poorly fitted and not ventilated with hydrophobic air filters, it is possible for microbial contamination from the outside air to occur inside the tank.

3. Inadequate storage and distribution design
   Storage and distribution systems that are poorly designed can lead to the establishment of microbial biofilms, which causes product contamination if not detected and removed quickly. Unfortunately, microbial colonisation is often difficult to detect because biofilms release contaminants slowly and randomly.

4. Selecting the wrong testing procedure
   Sending water samples to outsourced labs for TOC count can increase the risk of potential human error, as well as false out-of-specification results. With industry advancements in technology and equipment, like an inline meter that can take the “human error” element out of the equation; providing you with more accurate and timely results.

5. Variations in storage temperature
   Recirculating stainless steel systems are typically used to store pharmaceutical grade waters, however, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) can be used when very low mineral content water is needed. Recirculating stainless steel systems offers the capacity to operate at temperatures of 10ºC to 80ºC. Depending on the grade of water being stored and the manufacturer-specific requirements, the distribution systems can operate as “cold” or “hot” systems with the desired temperature being maintained to ensure ongoing microbial stability.

Making the right choice for your pharmaceutical company

Understanding the potential risks of a poorly manufactured water purification system will help you make the right decision when choosing the best water purification system for your pharmaceutical company. At Vicol (Pty) Ltd, we work with many of the biggest and best pharmaceutical companies around the world. With over 20 years of industry experience, we know what having the right water purification system can do for your business.

Purification systems designed for growth

Planning for the future and its possibilities is, generally, something companies worldwide will do quite consistently, in terms of company growth, direction, pitfalls, etc. However, a big mistake that is often made by, both, manufacturers and water purification system designers, is focusing purely on today’s usage.

A water purification system should always be designed with the flexibility that is needed for future growth. Afterall, when your company grows, you will need a flexible water purification system that can handle all increases in usage without worrying whether you will need to halt all production to perform needed system upgrades.

At Vicol (Pty) Ltd, we continuously strive to provide custom-designed solutions that will not only suit our clients current water purification needs, but also keep in mind their future needs and growth potential. Over the years, we have been able to guarantee measurable results and, with our ability to quickly adapt to niche requests, we can accommodate these requirements with minimal impact on costs to our clients.

Understanding industry requirements and regulations

Water purification in the pharmaceutical industry has stringent regulations and demanding requirements that are frequently monitored and updated by the USP, SANS, SAHPRA, WHO, EP and ISPE. It is therefore vital that your water purification system meets these standards and are validated by these bodies, accordingly.

As with all pharmaceutical processes, validation and documentation of your water purification system is a must. If a water purification system manufacturer is not up to date with regulations or are unable to provide the relevant validations and documentation, then odds are the system created will not be up to code and can, potentially, cause serious manufacturing issues in the future.

At Vicol (Pty) Ltd, we are continuously studying changes in regulatory requirements, which may include revised guidelines and regulations. We are also able to provide our clients with a complete design solution that consider all regulatory demands, including:

1. Plant and Process Design
2. Turnkey Installations
3. Commissioning and Operator Training
4. Risk Assessment and HAZOP Studies
5. Complete Documented Quality Control Plan for Each Part of the Process
6. Complete Validation Documentation for Pharmaceutical Applications

European quality solutions, delivered to Africa by a South African company

Finding the right water purification solution for your pharmaceutical company may be a challenge, but with the right water purification partner, it can be a breeze. At Vicol (Pty) Ltd, we take extra care when considering your company’s requirements and, with over 20 years of industry experience, we can help find you a flexible water purification solution to suit your current and future needs.

As a South African-based company, we believe in delivering international quality services to the African pharmaceutical industry. We understand your company’s need to save money and time, as you grow your brand, which is why our services are focused on supporting that overall goal. We offer guaranteed results, affordable designs, effective implementation, experienced partners and, most importantly, accessible, localised and reliable support.

Contact us today at +27 (0) 11 315 1842 or visit us at www.vicol.co.za for more information on how we can help you design the perfect custom water purification solution today.

References:
https://www.pharmtech.com/view/understanding-usp-water-pharmaceutical-use
https://pharmaguddu.com/types-water-pharmaceutical/

The post Water Purification System Challenges in the Pharmaceutical Industry appeared first on Vicol.