Architecture and Engineering Firms bring expertise and value to their clients by helping them solve challenges, meet legal requirements, achieve project objectives and more. When choosing a partner for water treatment equipment specification, there are several key indicators to ensure you are working with a well-qualified and trusted partner in meeting customer needs.

What are the current challenges facing A&E Firms?

There are several challenges facing A&E Firms when it comes to specifying water treatment equipment. Addressing these challenges can help ensure a more detailed and accurate water equipment specification, preventing change orders and budget constraints. 

Knowledge of incoming water quality is number one on the list. You can’t design an effective water system without knowing where you are starting from. Having access to local water reports and understanding the characteristics of the incoming feedwater is an essential part of the design process.

The next challenge is having a detailed understanding of current and upcoming water regulations and process requirements. It’s important to keep up with changing regulations and to have an eye on the future so you can effectively design a solution that will meet your client’s needs in the long-term. Process requirements for water treatment equipment require expert technical and application expertise to ensure that all the aspects of design are integrated and planned from system components down to electrical requirements.

The last main challenge we see affecting A&E Firms is a changing workforce. New engineers need support in navigating the specification process. Knowledge transfer is a key component, but often additional assistance may be needed by a water equipment supplier to help guide the specification process and ensure that all the technical details are covered.

What should A&E Firms look for in a water equipment partner?

Water treatment equipment specification is a scientific process and there is no single solution that fits every application. Below is a list of the top traits A&E Firms should look for in a qualified partner. 

• Water Expertise – Access to water reports, an analytical lab, the ability to take samples and understand incoming water quality characteristics.
• Market/Application Expertise - Proficiency in vertical market applications, such as pharmaceutical, healthcare, food & beverage, etc. Having a deep understanding of the market and the application will help guide the best solution.
• Engineering Expertise – The ability to engineer a solution to meet application needs with highly technical and detailed information to prevent any change orders and to keep your project on time and on budget.
• Local Presence – You don’t want a vendor that sells a solution, ships it and that’s it. A local presence will help ensure customer satisfaction and provide necessary training and assistance for start-up and installation.
• Trusted Partner – A water equipment supplier who will support your project from start to finish, dive into the details and provide a custom solution to meet your project needs.

Some red flags are suppliers who provide generic specifications or drawings and a “one-size-fits-all” solution. If someone is offering a package without asking questions about feedwater, quality, standards and regulations, they are probably not the right partner for your project.  

Why should A&E Firms partner with Evoqua?

Evoqua Water Technologies has the experience and knowledge to effectively support your project throughout the whole process. We provide a detailed analysis of each application, looking at the incoming feedwater characteristics, process, water quality requirements and project objectives to develop a custom solution.

We have market and application specialists in multiple areas, such as food & beverage, healthcare, pharmaceutical, microelectronics and government, to name a few. We also have a broad range of water and wastewater equipment so we can design the right solution to best meet your application needs. 

Our extensive U.S. branch network provides local support from the initial discovery phase (water sample analysis) to the execution phase (start-up and installation). With sustainability as a core value at Evoqua, we can also help design solutions to meet operational and environmental sustainability objectives.  

Author: Maria LaFleur, New Business Manager, Evoqua Water Technologies