Case Study: Ultrapure RO/DI and Water Softening System for UCSD Jacobs Medical Center
Water is a foundational utility in modern healthcare. At UC San Diego’s Jacobs Medical Center—a leading Southern California hospital specializing in cancer, transplant, and neonatal care—Water Works delivered a high-capacity RO/DI and water softening system engineered for performance, efficiency, and long-term scalability.
High-Purity Water Systems to Power Hospital Operations
To support the expanding hospital campus, Water Works installed both an ultrapure reverse osmosis/deionization (RO/DI) water system and a robust water softening system within the hospital’s LEED Gold-certified Central Utility Plant (CUP). This dual-system installation supports critical operations from sterilization to pharmaceutical processes—all while lowering operating costs and conserving water.
Challenges We Solved
Supporting a massive footprint: With a 10-story facility and extensive underground operations, the hospital required a centralized, high-volume system that could keep up with growing demands.
Minimizing installation time: Traditional on-site builds could have caused weeks of delay. Our prewired, modular skids were delivered and installed in hours—without interrupting operations.
Enabling future expansion: Designed for growth, the system’s modular skid can easily scale from 600 gpm to 900 gpm to support campus build-out.
Reducing operational costs: Advanced PLC controls and dynamic softener regeneration minimized water and salt consumption, reducing overall operating costs.
Ensuring long-term reliability: Materials such as IR-welded stainless steel, FRP tanks, and brass control valves were chosen to meet the facility’s performance and durability standards.
Smart System Design, Built for the Future
The Water Works team collaborated closely with the hospital’s A&E team to meet precise water quality and capacity targets. Key system features include:
Prewired, skid-mounted softener system: Built off-site in San Diego, then installed in hours to reduce labor, cost, and downtime.
7,000-gallon underground brine maker: Paired with duplex polypropylene transfer pumps for efficient salt handling.
Cloud-based PLC control with HMI interface: Enables remote monitoring, precise control of brine levels and pump operations, and integration with hospital-wide systems.
Dynamic regeneration with remote hardness analyzer: Softener regeneration only occurs when needed—cutting salt use and conserving water.
Expansion-ready infrastructure: The skid was designed to accommodate a third softener, increasing flow from 600 to 900 gpm with minimal future disruption.
Why Choose Water Works for Advanced Water Softening Systems?
Water Works, a MECO company, delivers more than systems—we provide end-to-end support, transparency, and performance that powers healthcare breakthroughs.
Full transparency: Non-proprietary materials, detailed documentation, and open architecture ensure clients maintain full system control and flexibility.
Streamlined delivery: Prefabrication and offsite testing accelerate project timelines while reducing on-site complexity.
Expert partnership: MECO’s global legacy in high-purity water, combined with Water Works’ local expertise, creates systems tailored for the most demanding hospital environments.
Lifecycle service: With predictive maintenance, flexible service contracts, and ongoing system support, our team ensures long-term reliability and compliance.
Strategic planning: We align each solution with your application, facility layout, and operational goals to deliver results—on day one and for decades to come.
Powered Locally by Water Works. Backed Globally by MECO.
Water Works has long been trusted across Southern California for delivering high-performance water purification systems—built with precision, delivered with speed, and supported with care. Now, as part of the MECO family, we bring even greater resources, technologies, and support capabilities to our clients—without compromising the local expertise you rely on.
Let’s power your next breakthrough.
Contact us to learn more about our advanced water softening and ultrapure water systems for hospitals.