Idroambiente is a company involved  in  design, manufacture, supply, sale and management of desalination systems and water production. The design of the process is the basic step for the development of a system, especially in relation to assessment of cost-effectiveness and technical feasibility of the project.

The inverse osmosis systems have become in the last years the standard of the technology in the water production sector for the human consumption from a saline or brackish source. It’s considered brackish water the water with TDS < 10000 mg/l and saline water the water with TDS until 38000 mg/l. The technological development of the last years has permitted the realization of desalination systems of all dimensions , from some dozens of litres per day to millions cubic miters. In our country, traditionally rich of high quality water sources, the desalination sector has not been considered important until a few years ago. Recently the climatic changes have caused short precipitations in some areas of our country and consequent short availability of water, both potable and for farming irrigation. Water is considered by majority the most precious necessity and this trend will be in the next future an increasingly topical subject both in different parts of the world  and in our country.

 

PROCESS

 The inverse osmosis system provides that saline or brackish water collected by a specific pipe of intake , will pass in permeable membranes with high pressure and through an additional chemical-physical process will be able to be suitable for consumption as potable water according with laws in force. The process allows to completely eliminate the polluting particles, also the infinitesimal dimension ones, including virus and bacterias, ensuring the absolute purity of the water. 

SYSTEMS’S ARCHITECTURE OPTIMIZATION FOR MAXIMUM PRODUCTIVITY

The system is equipped with an automation system able to minimize the operation of the personnel on site and at the same time to obtain constant control of the operating parameters, also from a remote station where the operation will be continuously monitored and historisized , in order to analyze and compare the results. This analysis leads to optimization of the operating steps. A control system equipped with special sensors ensures the constant monitoring of the quality standards for the produced water. The drain pipe of the brine in the process output (concentrate) is designed to dilute the concentrate that can come to a double salinity compared to the one normally contained in sea water. The concentrate dilution, together with the characteristics of being able to disperse the brine through more spreaders, allows to deeply reduce the impact of the concentrate itself on the marine environment.

 

Energy Rescue

The desalination plant is equipped with an internal energy recovery system able to reduce electrical consumption related to the operation of high-pressure pump of the osmosis section, the main item cost of produced water costs.

 

Water Safety Plan

Idroambiente Ltd. is implementing one of the first applications in Italy: a Water Safety Plan. The analysis of the potential dangers of the system leads to define the critical points of the system and iti is substantially similar to the process already known, contained in the regulations for the management of edible systems (HACCP). The evaluation process of a WSP, however, as indicated by a recent document of ISS guidelines ( National Institute of Health ) goes further and get to consider all the additional risk factors with respect to potential critical points of the system, such as:

• changes due to climatic/atmospheric agents
• possible accidental contaminations
• control process of the possible sources of pollution
• treatment process of residues
• water preservation process

 

According to the evaluations done, appropriate control measures are adopted.

• redevelopment and flushing of the pipes
• protection through non-return valves
• inspection methods and programs