Case study
Dialysis depends on a continuous supply of water treated to extremely high standards. At University Hospital Kerry, treatment takes place multiple times each day, six days a week, meaning any upgrade had to be completed without interrupting clinical services.
The existing installation comprised three separate distribution loops, with two legacy systems approaching the end of their practical service life.
The challenge was to modernise and simplify the infrastructure while maintaining patient safety, infection-control requirements and continuity of treatment.
Whitewater Group developed a carefully phased installation and commissioning strategy in collaboration with the hospital’s renal, clinical and maintenance teams.
Two new purified-water distribution networks were installed while the existing systems remained operational. The hospital’s existing Herco system was then transferred to the first new loop, followed by commissioning of the new treatment plant onto the second.
Treatment points were progressively transferred to the new infrastructure, allowing the legacy systems to remain operational until their replacements were ready.
The complete changeover was achieved with zero downtime to the renal department.
The upgraded system rationalises the renal water infrastructure from three distribution loops to two active loops while improving resilience.
Each patient media panel incorporates two purified-water outlets, one connected to each loop, providing greater flexibility during future maintenance or intervention.
The project also reduced the number of plantroom locations from three to two, returning valuable space to the hospital and freeing an external equipment container previously used for water treatment equipment.
The system was designed in accordance with applicable renal water treatment requirements, including Regulation (EU) 2017/745 and ISO 23500-3:2024.
