Choosing the right laboratory water purification system for your applications is one of the most critical decisions for lab managers. Since water is the most frequently used reagent in your daily workflow, its quality may directly affect results of your experiments, the lifespan of your analytical instruments, and the overall efficiency of your research.

With various technologies and system configurations available, the selection process can be overwhelming. This guide outlines the essential factors to consider.

1. Determine Your Water Quality Grade Needed: Type I, II, or III

The first step is to identify the grade of water your applications require. Depending on the sensitivity of your experiments, water quality generally falls into one of the following three water grades:

• Type I (Ultrapure Water): Required for highly sensitive applications such as ICP-MS, microelectronics, HPLC, LC-MS, and molecular biology.
• Type II (Pure Water): Suitable for general lab use, such as feeding clinical analyzers, buffer preparation and rinsing.
• Type III (or RO Water): Used for basic lab applications, such as glassware cleaning, heating baths and feed water for Type I water systems.

This will determine what types of water quality, or a combination of them is needed.

There are also criteria beyond 18.2 MΩ•cm resistivity for ultrapure water. Water purification is a combination of technologies working together to achieve the most suitable water quality for your purpose. For example, cell culture applications have additional requirements on residual enzymes and endotoxin levels in water, microelectronic applications have their own water quality standards beyond ultrapure water quality, while highly sensitive ICP-MS methods would require the lowest levels of ions and TOC to minimize background interference. Contact water system vendor if needed to see if your special requirements in water quality can be met.

2. Assess Volume and Water Makeup Rate

Calculate your expected daily and hourly usage for each water type. This step will determine what water system makeup rate and storage tank size are needed to meet daily and peak water demand. Don’t forget to account for dispensing speed (flow rate) to ensure the system can keep up with your lab’s peak hours or instrument demand.

3. Consider Total Cost of Ownership

Besides purchase price, the total cost of a lab water system includes consumables (cartridges, lamps, and filters) , service and maintenance.

• EDI Technology: Systems that use electrodeionization (EDI) have a higher initial capital cost compared to RO-based systems, they may be more cost-effective in running costs. An EDI-based system generates Type II water, much cleaner than RO water, thus will use less capacity of DI cartridges to generate ultrapure water, resulting in much less frequent consumable replacements.
• Product Quality: Service and maintenance are a big part of the overall cost of ownership. Make sure the water system vendor is reputable and provides a longer product warranty than a typical 6-12 months warranty.

4. Other Considerations of Laboratory Water Purification System

Modern labs require smarter tools. A system that is effortless to operate and maintain leads to high efficiency and a good user experience. When evaluating systems, ask:

• Is it easy to use? User-friendly designs, such as intuitive user interfaces and wireless technology, allow you to control and monitor the system effortlessly and from a distance.
• Is it modular and expandable? When your business grows or needs change, will the system be flexible to cover the change? For example, if your lab expands from one to 2 labs, can the same system with an easy upgrade to cover the additional lab, or need a whole set of new system?
• Does it have a small footprint? Lab space is always at a premium.  A small footprint with flexible installation options, whether on the bench, under the bench or wall-mounted, optimizes the valuable laboratory space and frees up the workspace. Furthermore, new development can support a small benchtop system to make up for far more water per hour typically required by a floor model larger water system. A benchtop system is easier to install, use, maintain, and service compared to a floor model system.
• Does it support remote monitoring or connect to BMS/LIMS? Remote communication, remote monitoring, or connections to BMS/LIMS systems may be on your requirement list. Not all water systems support it.

Choosing the right laboratory water purification system involves careful consideration of many factors. It could be mind-boggling. At RephiLe, we provide not just high-quality laboratory water systems, but also expert support to your needs and consulting to meet your unique requirements. Our global network can further support you when in need.

Contact us if you need further information at info@rephile.com. Local contacts are also listed on our website under Contacts.

About RephiLe: Driven by innovation and quality, RephiLe is a dedicated provider of water purification systems and laboratory filtration products. At the same time, RephiLe produces comprehensive consumables that can be used in Millipore lab water system with reliable performance. It is RephiLe’s commitment to becoming a partner of choice for customers in the area of life science and biotechnology. The company is striving to bring superior quality, high-value and innovative purification tools to enable and accelerate the advancement of the life sciences and technologies. Products are being sold to over 100 countries worldwide.