Case Study from HydroFLOW Italy
Potabilisation RO protection at 840 ppm
Potabilisation RO protection was needed at an Italian drinking water plant treating Elsa River water at around 840 ppm CaCO₃ hardness. The hard river water posed a scaling risk to the RO membranes, required chemical dosing to control it, and put pipes, tanks and equipment across the plant at risk. In May 2023 one HydroFLOW® iCustom 16 inch unit, built to the pipe, was installed on the 400 mm main delivery pipe without cutting or draining. Encrustation was prevented across the plant at 840 ppm, the RO membranes were shielded from scaling, and the plant’s dependence on chemical dosing was reduced.
The Challenge
- Potabilisation RO protection was needed on water at approximately 840 ppm CaCO₃
- There was a scaling risk to the RO membranes
- Chemical dosing was required to control scale
- Pipes, tanks and equipment across the plant were at risk
- The main delivery pipe was 400 mm
The Solution
- Unit installed: HydroFLOW® iCustom 16 inch
- Installation point: main delivery pipe
- Pipe size: 400 mm
- Installed: May 2023 without cutting or draining
- Water: Elsa River water at around 840 ppm CaCO₃
The iCustom unit was built to the 400 mm pipe so the plant’s water could be treated at one point on the main delivery line. The signal disrupts the conditions that bond scale to surfaces, so protection extends to the membranes and the downstream equipment. The plant kept its dosing in reserve while it confirmed potabilisation RO protection on membrane pressure readings.
