Case Study: Purified Water System for a Leading Health Sciences Facility
Advanced Water Purification in Support of Research and Sustainability Goals
In the life sciences industry, high-purity water is essential to both product integrity and operational efficiency. For research institutions and biopharmaceutical facilities, purified water systems must not only deliver consistent quality and reliability—they must also support long-term sustainability targets.
Project Overview: UC San Diego Biomedical Research Facility II
Water Works Inc., a MECO Brand, provided the purified water system for the 196,000 sq. ft. UC San Diego Health Sciences Biomedical Research Facility II in La Jolla, California. Designed to meet LEED Platinum Certification standards, the facility houses a five-story research laboratory complex, representing over 75% of the building’s total footprint.
The project’s complexity stemmed from its dual goals: supporting the intensive water demands of a modern R&D operation while achieving exceptional energy and water efficiency.
System Design and Engineering Approach
Working in close collaboration with the university’s architectural, structural, and planning teams, Water Works engineers developed a centralized purified water system capable of meeting the facility’s evolving demands. The system delivers water exceeding the university’s required purity specifications and ensures consistent water quality across all floors.
Key features include:
- Centralized water purification and control architecture for improved efficiency and rapid response
- Floor-by-floor system isolation via a single control console, reducing maintenance time and labor
- Compact design that integrates into the facility’s vertical footprint without sacrificing performance
Sustainability by Design
Meeting the LEED Platinum target required bold innovation. Water Works designed a system with sustainability as a central goal—not a byproduct.
Water-Saving Highlights:
- 100% RO water recovery: Unlike conventional RO systems (typically 50–75% efficient), the system captures and reuses all RO concentrate.
- Blended reuse stream: RO concentrate is blended with low-salinity AC condensate to create high-quality non-potable water—5–10x cleaner than municipal supply.
- Chemical-free microbial control: Ozonation and UV disinfection eliminate the need for harsh chemicals, while extending system life by reducing corrosivity.
- Reuse water integration: Reclaimed water is used for toilet flushing and landscape irrigation, with additional capacity available for future applications.
- Centralized monitoring: A PLC-based control system continuously tracks reuse quality and distribution for optimal performance and compliance.
Results
The Biomed II building set a new benchmark for water system performance and sustainability on the UCSD campus.
Water Savings Performance:
- Over 1.2 million gallons of water saved annually
- 555,000 gallons reused in the first 8 months of operation
- Additional 135,000 gallons available for further reuse
- System scalability supports even greater recovery as demand grows
The success of this project led to the adoption of the system design as a campus-wide model for future laboratory facilities.
Your Partner in High-Performance Water Solutions
MECO and Water Works Inc. deliver advanced water purification systems tailored for life sciences, healthcare, and R&D environments. Whether your goals include reducing water consumption, increasing reliability, or achieving green building certification, our team brings unmatched engineering expertise to your project.
Let’s build your next breakthrough—together.
Contact us to discuss a solution designed for your facility’s needs.
