Lubrication and filtration solutions provider Omsa has supplied two Mahle water- filtration systems to a local water supplier’s facilities, in Bloemfontein, in the Free State. These systems formed part of a new feed-water-supply system that was recently installed at the supplier’s facilities.

“The R550 000 water-filtration systems were supplied . . . in January, but were commissioned for use only in February,” Omsa technical manager Xen Papastamopoulos tells Engineering News.

He explains that the Mahle water filters are automated and are used to prime and lubricate the water feed pumps, with a backflush self-cleaning mechanism.

“These automated systems replaced the plant’s bulk sand filters that were manually operated at the water supplier’s water purification plant, thereby ensuring that the water supplied by the plant is now clean. It also eradicates the risk of contamination, which may damage the water pump’s mechanical components,” says Papastamopoulos.

Moreover, he highlights that managing and operating water supplies efficiently have never been as important as now, owing to the significant number of contaminated-water incidents that are being lodged with municipalities or water management suppliers.

Therefore, Papastamopoulos states that Omsa was pleased to have received the order for the duplex water-filtration systems – one duty and one standby unit – as the efficiencies that water operators can achieve using the Mahle fully automated filtration systems are “significant”.

“They require less maintenance, are less labour intensive, are equipped with the latest technology and are significantly more compact than other types of filtration systems,” he states.

Papastamopoulos adds that this technology is also used extensively in the marine industry for desalination, drinking water purification and wastewater management.