Advanced Lightweight Mobile Water Treatment Unit for the US Armed Forces

MECO was awarded a five-year contract to produce Lightweight Water Purifiers (LWP) for the US Army. MECO designed and developed the LWP and subsequently manufactured over 500 units in support of the armed forces’ needs for drinking water. The MECO LWP is the world’s most advanced lightweight mobile water treatment unit. The LWP removes nuclear, biological or chemical agents from the water supply, is set up in 45 minutes and operated by one soldier. It can be transported on a HMMWV or in a Blackhawk helicopter and is air transportable and air droppable. The system is capable of operating on highly turbid waters and can treat water contaminated by weapons of mass destruction. MECO LWP units are presently operating throughout the world in support of armed forces and disaster relief.

The Future of Desalination for the US Naval Capability Program

The MECO MN-100 units were developed over the last three years through funding provided by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) Future Naval Capability Program (FNC). The advanced shipboard desalination plants are rated at 100,000 gallons per day of freshwater production. They have the capability to produce not only drinking water quality, but ultrapure water for special purposes like electronics cooling, turbine injection and similar needs. The units are designed to eliminate, or significantly minimize, sailor involvement related to the normal operation and maintenance. The plants are highly automated with the capability to adapt to changing conditions, optimizing operation continuously for things like variations in seawater temperature, salinity and turbidity eliminating the need for routine operator intervention. Consumable filters are eliminated in favor of chlorine tolerant membranes that retard fouling and are automatically backwashed based upon the machines need. The result is the elimination of downstream particulate and biological fouling of desalination membranes. The MN-100 plants use electricity for power and are highly energy efficient reducing energy consumption over existing technology by 75% & 98% respectively. Another attribute of the modern design is an increase in freshwater recovery without adding chemical pretreatments resulting in a reduction of seawater feed flow to the machines. The MN-100 units reduce feedwater consumption by 90% over existing distillation technology. Constructed principally of titanium and high alloy stainless steel, the machines are relatively lightweight, corrosion and fire resistant.

Transportable skid-mounted water treatment system that can purify seawater, brackish water and freshwater.

The 600 GPH ROWPU is a transportable skid-mounted water treatment system that can purify seawater, brackish water and freshwater. The unit is also capable of treating water contaminated with nuclear, biological and chemical warfare agents. MECO manufactured the first substantive production run of the 600 GPH ROWPU, where more than 200 units were provided. Never one to be satisfied, MECO continued to make significant product improvements during the contract. Following that production run for subsequent contracts, MECO acted as a major subcontractor to other suppliers, and provided pipe spools, media filters, and associated components on those contracts. Today, MECO continues to supply spare parts to the U.S. Government, either directly or through various contractors.