Supplying Safe Drinking Water to Military Engineering Services, Gujarat
Access to safe and reliable drinking water is non-negotiable—especially in defence establishments where health, readiness, and continuity of operations are critical. In many regions across India, especially in areas dependent on borewell sources, groundwater quality poses significant challenges due to high dissolved solids and mineral content. If left untreated, such water is unfit for consumption and can lead to long-term health risks, scaling in pipelines, and damage to plumbing infrastructure.
In military facilities operated by the Military Engineer Services (MES), drinking water systems must meet stringent quality standards while ensuring uninterrupted supply. Recognizing the importance of dependable water treatment infrastructure, MES sought a proven solution to treat high-TDS borewell water and make it safe for daily consumption across multiple army locations in Gujarat.
Project Context: Ensuring Potable Water for Defence Infrastructure
For this project in Baroda (Vadodara), Gujarat, MES required a trustworthy water treatment partner capable of delivering:
- High-quality drinking water systems
- Competitive project economics
- Reliable performance and service support
Pristine Water was selected to design and supply a robust drinking water treatment solution tailored to the site-specific groundwater conditions at three army locations— MES Makarpura, MES Harni, and MES Fatehgunj
The Core Challenge: High-TDS Borewell Water
The borewell water available at all three MES locations had high Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) levels, making it unsuitable for direct consumption.
Key challenges included:
- Wide variation in raw water TDS across sites
- Requirement for consistent potable water quality
- Continuous supply of safe water
- Long-term reliability with minimal operational intervention
A centralized, one-size-fits-all approach was not feasible. Each site required a carefully engineered solution based on its specific raw water characteristics.
Raw Water Quality Assessment: MES Borewell Specifications
As part of the requirements issued by MES, detailed raw water quality parameters were provided for borewell sources across the three army locations (MES Makarpura, MES Harni, MES Fatehgunj) in Baroda, Gujarat.
Borewell Water Quality (Before Treatment)
| Parameter | MES Makarpura | MES Harni (Pump House No. 1) | MES Fatehgunj (Pump House No. 6) |
|---|---|---|---|
| TDS | 1200–1400 mg/L | 1700–1900 mg/L | 1000–1200 mg/L |
| Chlorides (as Cl) | 360–380 mg/L | 440–480 mg/L | 350–375 mg/L |
| Alkalinity | 530–550 mg/L | 590–630 mg/L | 500–550 mg/L |
| Total Hardness | 430–450 mg/L | 460–490 mg/L | 400–430 mg/L |
| Fluoride | 1.20–1.50 mg/L | 1.25–1.50 mg/L | 1.20–1.30 mg/L |
| Nitrate | 35–45 mg/L | 40–45 mg/L | 40–45 mg/L |
The raw water quality indicated multiple exceedances of acceptable drinking water limits.
Pristine Water’s RO-Based Drinking Water Solution
Based on the above conditions, Pristine Water designed, supplied, and commissioned Reverse Osmosis–based drinking water treatment plants at all three locations, each with a capacity of 14 m³/hr, designed with sufficient safety margins to consistently deliver potable-quality water despite variations in raw water composition.
System Configuration:
- Technology: Reverse Osmosis (RO)
- Capacity: 14 m³/hr per plant
- Quantity: 3 RO systems
- Application: Drinking water treatment
The systems were engineered to deliver high rejection efficiency, ensuring significant reduction in dissolved salts while maintaining consistent output quality suitable for human consumption.
Addressing Site-Specific Water Quality Conditions
Each RO system was customized to handle the specific raw water profile at its respective location:
- Optimized pretreatment to protect RO membranes
- High-rejection RO membranes for effective TDS reduction
- Automated operation for consistent performance
- Design focus on ease of maintenance and reliability
This approach ensured long-term system stability and dependable drinking water supply for MES personnel.
Validation through Performance Results: From High TDS to Potable Quality
The performance achieved across all three locations highlights the effectiveness of Pristine Water’s RO systems:
MES Harni Site
- Raw Water TDS: 1960 ppm
- Treated Water TDS: 55 ppm
MES Fatehgunj Site
- Raw Water TDS: 850 ppm
- Treated Water TDS: 15 ppm
MES Makarpura Site
- Raw Water TDS: 1850 ppm
- Treated Water TDS: 56 ppm
The treated water met drinking water quality requirements, ensuring safe and reliable consumption for armed forces personnel.
Results and Operational Benefits
With Pristine Water’s RO solution in place, MES achieved:
- Consistent supply of safe drinking water across MES Mkarpura, MES Harni, MES Fatehgunj
- Significant reduction in dissolved solids from borewell sources
- Improved health and safety standards for personnel
- Reliable system performance with minimal operational challenges
Delivering Trustworthy Water Solutions for Critical Applications
This project reinforces Pristine Water’s capability to deliver high-performance drinking water treatment systems for government and defence institutions. By combining engineering expertise with site-specific customization, Pristine Water continues to support critical infrastructure with dependable and sustainable water solutions.
Looking to upgrade or implement a drinking water treatment system for defence, industrial, or institutional facilities?
Contact Pristine Water to discuss a solution tailored to your water quality challenges.