Automated water treatment systems explained

Your guide to water treatment automation

In today’s world, businesses are under increasing pressure to operate safely, sustainably, and efficiently. For industrial and commercial operations, keeping water systems running at peak performance is critical to achieving these goals.

From scaling and corrosion to biofilm formation and pipe bursts, untreated or poorly managed water can lead to serious issues. That’s why water treatment isn’t optional – it’s essential.

Most businesses that operate cooling towers or HVAC systems, closed-loop heating/commercial boilers, or process water systems understand the importance of water treatment. But managing these systems manually can be time-consuming, inconsistent, and labor-intensive, struggling to keep pace with expectations.

That’s where automation comes in, offering a smarter, more consistent, and data-driven approach to managing complex water treatment programs. 

In this guide, we cover everything you need to know about water treatment automation to help you make informed decisions that will benefit your business.

Have a question you need answering? Get in touch with our experts now!

What is water treatment automation?

Water treatment automation is the process of using technology to monitor, control, and adjust water treatment systems without the need for constant manual input. 

It is an alternative to traditional water treatment processes that often require manual testing of parameters such as pH, temperature, and microbiological content of system water. Automated water treatment combines both real-time data collection and controlled delivery of treatment chemicals.

What are automated water treatment systems?

Automated water treatment systems collect real-time data on key water parameters, automatically making corrections to improve performance and minimise manual involvement. These systems can be configured with custom limits to trigger responses before efficiency drops or system issues occur.

Water treatment automation is primarily used in non-potable, industrial, and commercial water systems, particularly where there is high water usage and frequent variation in water quality.

What can water treatment automation systems control?

• Chemical dosing levels
• pH and Conductivity
• Flow Rates
• Temperature and Pressure
• Microbiological Activity

The benefits of automated water treatment systems

There are numerous benefits to using automated, real-time, data-driven water treatment systems. These advantages extend across operational efficiency, safety, compliance, and cost management.

Efficiency improvements:

Automation control systems optimize resource utilisation, reduce manual involvement, and simplify complex processes. This leads to more streamlined, efficient water treatment operations, whilst freeing up your employees for other areas of your business.

Accuracy:

By precisely measuring and controlling factors such as pH levels, chemical dosing, and flow rates, automated systems help minimise human error, ensure consistent system performance, and support sustainability goals.

Real-time monitoring:

Automation enables continuous monitoring of water quality parameters and system performance. This allows issues to be detected and resolved quickly, reducing the risk of equipment failure, poor performance, and potential health hazards.

Cost savings:

Automated control systems help deliver cost and time savings. Data-driven treatment programs ensure that only the necessary volume of treatment chemicals are used at a given time (such as biocides), helping to keep chemical consumption in line with what your systems require in a given moment. Automatic water treatment systems also allow for personnel to be reallocated and up-skilled for high-value tasks while water systems are optimized in the background, allowing for an increase in workforce availability.

Safety:

By automating potentially hazardous tasks like chemical dosing and disinfection, these systems help reduce the risk of operator exposure and workplace accidents, creating a safer working environment.

Regulatory Compliance:

By keeping correct records and enabling data reporting, automation control systems can aid in ensuring compliance with strict regulations governing water quality and treatment procedures.

What can automated water treatment systems be used for?

Automated water control systems are ideal for industrial, institutional, and commercial-scale water systems handling large quantities of non-potable water. From hospitals, factories, and shopping malls to casinos, food production factories, and schools, automated systems are especially valuable where water quality needs to be tightly controlled to protect equipment, maintain efficiency, and comply with regulations.

Common applications include:

Cooling towers and HVAC systems

Scaling, corrosion, and microbial growth are common issues in cooling towers and HVAC systems. Left unchecked, these problems can reduce heat exchange efficiency, damage equipment, and increase safety and compliance risks – all of which can drive up operational costs.

Automated water treatment systems offer a smarter way to manage these challenges. By continuously monitoring system conditions, they can precisely control chemical dosing, conductivity levels, and blowdown cycles – all in real time. This helps maintain optimal system performance while reducing manual oversight.

This is particularly valuable for businesses with large and complex HVAC systems, or where the operation and reliability of HVAC systems can have a significant impact on employee or guest comfort, including manufacturing plants, shopping malls, casinos, hospitals, and care facilities.

Closed-loop heating and cooling systems

Closed-loop heating and cooling systems operate by recirculating the same water through a sealed network of pipes. While they are designed to limit contamination, they are not maintenance-free. Over time, issues such as corrosion, fouling, and oxygen ingress can still develop, leading to scale build-up, reduced heat transfer efficiency, and shortened equipment lifespan.

Automated water treatment systems help preserve water quality and system integrity by continuously monitoring key parameters such as pH, conductivity, inhibitor levels, and temperature. These systems can automatically adjust chemical dosing in real-time to prevent corrosion, microbial growth, and other forms of system degradation before they become costly problems.

For businesses with closed-loop systems, including commercial-scale central heating systems, automation provides a more consistent, efficient, and lower-risk way to protect critical infrastructure and maintain peak system performance.

Process Water Systems

In industries where water quality is critical to production, maintaining stable and clean water conditions is essential. Automated water treatment systems ensure that water quality remains consistent, preventing issues that could affect product quality.

By continuously monitoring and adjusting key parameters, automated systems can prevent contamination, scaling, and corrosion, all of which can lead to costly downtime or compromised products. This consistent, real-time control over water treatment ensures that industrial processes run smoothly, improving operational efficiency and reducing the risk of expensive shutdowns or rework.

Businesses in sectors with high-volume water usage, like manufacturing plants or processing facilities, benefit from automated systems that enhance both productivity and the quality of their outputs.

Commercial Boilers

Commercial and large-scale boilers rely on stable, high-quality feedwater to operate efficiently and safely. Without proper water treatment, boilers are vulnerable to scale build-up, corrosion, and sludge formation, which can result in reduced heat transfer efficiency, increased energy costs, and system failures, depending on severity.

Automated water treatment systems help maintain optimal boiler conditions by continuously monitoring water chemistry, including conductivity, pH, and oxygen levels. These systems can precisely control chemical dosing and blowdown cycles to prevent scale and corrosion, ensuring efficient boiler operation and prolonging equipment lifespan.

From hospitals and hotels to large office buildings, manufacturing sites, and schools, any facility with high-demand hot water or steam systems can benefit from automation. By reducing manual oversight and reacting in real-time to changes in water quality, automated solutions support greater energy efficiency and operational reliability.

NCH aquaDART: award-winning water treatment system

NCH aquaDART is an award-winning, automated water treatment and water control system. The system combines cutting-edge PTSA tracer technology and real-time data analytics to deliver precise changes to chemical feed and water treatment, reducing necessary manual involvement to a minimum.

The innovative Direct Analysis and Response Technology (DART) system continuously tracks critical parameters for precise control of scale, corrosion, and microbiological activity. This allows for a degree of control over chemical dosing, blowdown, and other critical water treatment, otherwise unavailable without constant manual input.

NCH aquaDART provides real-time alerts based on user-set limits, with notices when chemical feeds need to be changed. System data is accessible from your mobile devices, allowing you to make system performance adjustments from anywhere in the world.

Want to learn more? Discover more about aquaDART or get in touch with our experts today!

How can we help you?

At NCH, we have over 100 years of experience helping businesses achieve operational excellence. From innovative water treatment systems such as aquaDART to streamline your water treatment, through to facilities cleaning supplies, building maintenance products, industrial grade greases, oils, and lubricants – we have everything you need to keep your business running smoothly, safely, and efficiently.

We work directly with businesses small and large across the world. Get in touch today to find out how we can help your business run smarter and more efficiently.