Laboratory water

Water and distribution systems that produce ultra high-purity laboratory water for use in research and clinical diagnosis
Laboratory water picture

 

Veolia Water Technologies concepts, designs and installs high standard solutions for laboratories. Our experts know what is important to you and will provide high-quality lab water purification systems adapted to your specific needs.

 

Water for most laboratory and clinical applications is usually purified from drinking water. Impurities must be removed and additional contamination from water purification components and bacterial growth managed effectively.
Depending on the water quality required, a number of purification technologies are used to remove these impurities. It is vital to use a combination of water purification technologies to effectively remove contaminants to levels required for critical applications.

  • Academic research laboratories in universities and institutes.
  • Clinical pathology laboratories.
  • Life science and materials science research and development laboratories.
  • Pharmaceutical quality control laboratories.
  • Biopharmaceutical, food and beverage and cosmetics corporations.

Tap water typically contains various harmless minerals such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium and phosphorus. The presence of impurities and contaminants can have a serious impact on your data. Laboratory water must undergo processes to remove all contaminants and impurities. 
By ensuring the water that you use meets a high level of purity you eliminate any risk to your data and ensure reliable, accurate results.

How Veolia is committed to helping laboratories to achieve high-quality water systems

Veolia Water Technologies is a reliable, trusted and experienced provider of high-quality laboratory water purification systems. Our team of laboratory water experts are experienced in working with architects, consultants, facility managers, suppliers and scientists to provide help and expertise at all stages, from concept and design through to build and installation. 
Here’s why you should work with us:

  • Extensive experience of providing clinical-grade water systems for many hospitals, laboratories and universities.
  • Readily available spares and consumables to ensure continuous system operation.
  • Guaranteed system uptime ‒ excellent first-time fix rates.
  • Full-service offering including project management, system design, implementation, monitoring and ongoing support.
  • Duplex systems ensure a continuous supply and help analyzer companies avoid unwanted penalties for unprocessed samples.
Woman wearing laboratory gloves and security glasses manipulating laboratory flask with pink liquid inside.

Our 1st class support provides outstanding worldwide installation, validation and support.

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Laboratory water systems

There is an increasing requirement for high-purity water to support a wide range of research applications. Many research laboratories change their activities with time or need to scale up their current research applications, thereby requiring larger quantities of research-grade water. Laboratory reconfigurations will also change the demands on lab water. This continual need for adaptation to meet changing requirements has led to a more modular approach to laboratory design and architecture. 

Centralized laboratory water

Traditionally, laboratory networks within a building can require larger central systems with very high storage volumes of pure water and powerful (high-pressure) distribution systems. This type of design does not always optimize water purity and can lead to spiraling distribution costs. Centralized laboratory water is a cost-effective and efficient system, capable of delivering up to 38 liters of high-purity, laboratory-grade (types I, II and III) water per minute in volumes of up to 6,000 liters per day. 
Our simple and easy sanitization processes ensure long-term bacterial control and their modular design allows a number of systems to be connected depending on your needs.

Clinical pathology labs

Clinical pathology laboratories require a continuous, consistent supply of Clinical Laboratory Reagent Water (CLRW),  a standard of water suggested by the American College of clinical pathology specifying limits of impurity in laboratory water — covering ions, particulates, organics, bacteria and bacterial by-products. The CLRW guideline is a widely adopted standard for in-vitro diagnostics applications. It aims to guarantee the use of a basic level of water purity so that clinical chemistry and immunology assays can be run consistently with minimum risk to the analyzer and the clinical test results.

Point-of-use laboratory water system

A point-of-use laboratory water system delivers ultrapure water, on demand, right where it is needed. Point-of-use laboratory water systems differ from centralized water purification systems as the purified water is not distributed via pipework, which can affect water quality.

Supporting our clients with lab water purification systems all around the world

BRAZIL
Supplying high volumes of pure water to the biggest medical diagnostics company in Latin America.

DASA is the fifth largest medical diagnostics company in the world. Counting 321 branches across Brazil it daily caters for 55,000 patients and processes more than 10 million tests each month. This huge company relies on a water purification system for laboratory use. 
Specialized Veolia subsidiary Elga LabWater has been able to supply high volumes of consistent quality, CLRW-standard pure water to high throughput clinical laboratory analyzers throughout the site, ensuring the activity of the company. 

JAPAN
Powering cutting-edge gene research.

Providing Japanese researchers with a reliable and convenient supply of high-quality ultrapure water for the success of sensitive techniques ensuring consistent and reliable results in all their experiments. Scientists at the Institute of Gene Research at Yamaguchi University are using next-generation sequencing technologies to investigate chronic diseases such as cancer, dementia and cardiovascular disease. They are also carrying out comprehensive genomic analyses on more than 1,000 samples each year sent from other laboratories from across Japan. 
The team relies on high-quality ultrapure water for the success of these sensitive techniques. An Elga Purelab® Quest laboratory water purification system was recently installed in the laboratory, providing the researchers with a reliable and convenient supply of ultrapure water (18.2 MΩ). Since its arrival, the team has achieved consistent and reliable results in all their experiments.

Discover our technologies for laboratory water treatment

We are driven by innovation and sustainable solutions. Our unrivaled product design has achieved international recognition and awards. 

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Reliable

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Robust

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 Simple to use

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Easy to maintain

Would you like more information about our technologies for laboratory water treatment?

 

We provide laboratory and clinical water systems that make working lives easier, we free up time and budget for other activities. Our expertise and service coverage ensures researchers and clinicians can focus on their priorities. Through quality, simplicity and reliability we aim to make laboratories more cost effective, more efficient and a more pleasant place to work.

 

Neil Andrews picture

Neil Andrews

Global Marketing Director 

ELGA Labwater

Contact Neil through his LinkedIn account

More services for laboratory water

Through our dedicated business unit Elga Labwater, we are specialists in the design, manufacture, service and support of laboratory and clinical water purification systems. Our worldwide technical service teams support science and healthcare globally with specialist expertise. Our mission is to empower scientists, researchers and clinicians, so that they may continue with their work uninterrupted. A global supply chain supports clients from regional centers on every continent.

A combination of digital tools and Veolia expertise that make all your water processes smarter, safer and more sustainable.
We provide a wide range of services to existing facilities including technical support, pre-planned preventive maintenance, spare parts, etc.
Rental assets to support and assist your site operations for temporary and longer-term water treatment needs 24/7.
Providing water hygiene and HYDREXⓇ chemical solutions serving the performance of utility and water treatment equipment.

FAQ about laboratory water 

Pure Water Type II & Type II+, what is the difference?

  • Type II pure water is suitable for many general laboratory applications, from preparation of culture media to glassware cleaning. It offers a low inorganic element content and is suitable for sensitive analytical requirements, where ultrapure water is not required. The processes involved in obtaining Type II water are particulate filtering, activated carbon, reverse osmosis, desalination (ion exchange or electrodeionization), ultraviolet and microfiltration.
  • Type II+ water is a slightly higher grade of Type II water for general lab applications that need a greater inorganic water purity. 

What is Clinical Lab Reagent Water (CLRW)?

CLRW is a type of pure water for clinical laboratories. Defined by the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI), it is the minimum grade of lab water that should be used in clinical pathology and diagnostics. If your clinical lab water doesn’t meet CLRW standards, you will risk inaccurate and inconsistent test results.
CLRW contains limited amounts of bacteria, ions, organics and particles, all of which can interfere with test chemistries and analyzer operation. The full CLRW specification is:

  • Bacteria:      <10 CFU/ml
  • Resistivity:  >10 MΩ.cm
  • TOC:              <500 PPB
  • Particles:     0.2um filtration or better

CLRW can be used in place of Type I and Type II water for most applications.
 

What is a CLRW water purification system used for?

A CLRW purification system supplies feed water to clinical analyzers so the instruments can generate valid results.
Clinical lab water from CLRW systems is also typically used for:

  • Cuvette washing: eliminates carry-over and contamination.
  • Sample probe washing: eliminates cross-contamination across samples.
  • Pipetting syringes: ensures accurate and precise pipetting of sample & reagent.
  • Reagent probe washing: eliminates cross-contamination across reagents.
  • Incubator baths: supports accurate and precise photometric readings.

What should you look for in a CLRW purification system?

It is essential that your CLRW system produces consistently pure clinical lab water, without running costs that overstretch your budget. It must also be reliable and easy to maintain, as too much downtime could result in hefty penalties for unprocessed samples.
The flexibility to upgrade your system is also worth considering if your lab’s needs may change and grow over time.
 

What are the benefits of CLRW systems?

The key benefits include:

  • Reliable supply of consistently pure CLRW water.
  • Easy installation, operation, monitoring and maintenance.
  • Low consumable and running costs.
  • Compact and space-saving.
  • Bypass configuration for emergencies.
  • Upgradeable and scalable.
     

What is clinical pathology?

Clinical pathology involves the diagnosis of disease using laboratory testing processes applied to bodily fluids, blood and tissues along with the microscopic examination of individual cells. Clinical pathologists are healthcare professionals who are experts in the study of disease, the cause of disease and the effects. 

What is a point-of-use laboratory water system?

A point-of-use laboratory water system delivers ultrapure water, on demand, right where it is needed. Point-of-use laboratory water systems differ from centralized water purification systems as the purified water is not distributed via pipework, which can affect water quality.

Who needs point-of-use water systems?

Point-of-use ultrapure water systems may be required for research and testing in laboratories.