Background
Seymour Health is undertaking a major redevelopment of its Operating Suite Services, including a new Central Sterilising Services Department (CSSD).
The project is funded through the Victorian Department of Health's Regional Health Infrastructure Fund and forms part of a broader program to modernise essential clinical infrastructure for the growing regional community.
Objectives
As part of the upgrade, the hospital required a purpose‑built reverse osmosis (RO) water treatment system to support the increased demand for high‑purity water used in instrument reprocessing.
Key project objectives included:
- Delivering an RO system that meets the water quality requirements of AS 5369:2023.
- Designing a compact system that fits within a highly constrained plant room while still allowing safe access for operation and maintenance.
- Achieving stable system performance despite elevated feedwater conductivity.
- Coordinating installation and commissioning with the broader hospital construction program.
Challenges
The site's regional location (about an hour from Melbourne) required careful planning to keep deliveries, installation and commissioning on schedule.
The plant room allocated for the RO system was extremely restricted in size, requiring a compact layout that still allowed safe access for servicing and routine inspection.
Feedwater conductivity at the site was significantly higher than typical, requiring careful membrane selection to reliably achieve the required water quality.
Solution
Southland Filtration engineered the RO system to address the constraints identified during the redevelopment. Each design choice and installation step was planned to resolve a specific challenge and ensure reliable operation within the project's limitations.
- The system was pre‑assembled off‑site to streamline installation and align with the construction schedule, reduce on‑site works, and support compliance with AS 5369:2023.
- The limited plant room footprint required a compact RO design. Components, pipework and valves were arranged to keep the layout tight while still allowing safe access for servicing and routine checks.
- To manage the elevated feedwater conductivity, the system design incorporated strengthened pretreatment using MediaPRO, combined with upgraded RO membranes selected to consistently achieve the required water quality.
Outcome
Seymour Health now operates a fully commissioned RO system supplying high‑purity water to its new CSSD.
The system meets the requirements of AS 5369:2023, supports increased sterilisation capacity, and was delivered on time and within budget despite the spatial and feedwater challenges encountered during design and installation.
In Summary
The RO upgrade is a key element of Seymour Health’s Operating Suite Services redevelopment. Through early coordination, compact system design, and targeted technical refinement, Southland Filtration delivered a compliant RO solution suited to a constrained regional healthcare environment and positioned to support future growth in surgical services.
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Southland Filtration is a leading Australian provider of commercial water filtration solutions. We’ve been helping businesses since 1995 with a focus on quality, custom solutions, and reliable service. We work with businesses and organisations in Australia and New Zealand to address their unique water challenges and maintain the highest standards.