Water purity is crucial in the cosmetics industry, affecting product quality and longevity. Similarly, in food and beverage sectors, it influences flavor and safety. Regardless of your industry, sourcing high-quality, high-purity water systems is vital. You’ll want to maximize value, so it’s essential to thoroughly evaluate the best options available.
1. MECO
Founded in 1928 in Los Angeles, MECO started as a small pump distributor and has grown to become the global leader in engineering and manufacturing water purification solutions, with locations spanning California, Texas, Puerto Rico, Chile, South Korea, Ireland, Spain, West Africa, China, and Singapore.
All of MECO’s high-purity water systems are compliant with current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP). The company adheres to American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ design standards and holds an ISO 9001:2015 certification, underscoring its commitment to quality. Equipment performance is verified through factory acceptance tests (FAT), ensuring that these systems consistently exceed global benchmarks.
With more than 100,000 square feet of state-of-the-art facilities, MECO services markets in food and beverage, biopharmaceuticals, industrial applications, and desalination. Its advanced technologies and eco-friendly practices make it a competitive choice, offering a variety of turnkey and customized ultrapure water production solutions, whether you need steam sanitization, reverse osmosis (RO), or ultraviolet (UV) disinfection.
Each unit is custom-engineered to your specifications, ensuring durability based on your location and requirements. Since the units are fully wired, piped, and assembled at the factory, both installation costs and startup times are minimized. The efficient design simplifies calibration and maintenance, leading to reduced operational, service, and capital expenses.
2. US Water Systems
Founded over 20 years ago by Patty, Mark, and Steve Timmons in their garage, US Water Systems has grown into a family-run business that has served more than 100,000 customers, backed by its U.S.-based technicians with over 300 years of collective technical experience.
Whether you’re seeking high-purity, RO, or deionization equipment, US Water Systems provides commercial options capable of producing Type I, II, III, or IV water, with outputs ranging from 5 gallons per day to 16,000 pounds per day, making it suitable for any production rate. Their skilled engineers collaborate with you to create a tailored solution.
The support from US Water Systems extends beyond the purchase. They offer continuous post-sale support for the lifespan of your equipment. If performance issues arise within the first year of ownership, their 100% money-back guarantee allows for a refund or replacement. Though their products may not be the cheapest, they deliver exceptional value.
By selling directly to customers from their U.S.-based plants, US Water Systems eliminates unnecessary costs. Their salespeople do not receive commissions, allowing you to save up to 70% on initial purchases compared to other entities. Additionally, they utilize industry-standard filters and membranes, avoiding the need for costly proprietary replacements, thus saving you money over your system’s lifespan. They even offer free shipping for orders over $199.
3. Serv-A-Pure
With nearly 80 years of experience, Michigan-based Serv-A-Pure has honed its engineering and design practices, offering some of the finest custom high-purity and commercial filtration systems. Their extensive product lineup includes competitively priced options for filtration, deionization, and UV treatment. For instance, their Aries high-purity loop features a 0.05-micron capsule ultrafilter combined with UV disinfection, achieving a 99.99% reduction in bacteria and viruses.
Engineers from Serv-A-Pure customize products to suit specific needs or provide reliable turnkey solutions from trusted brands. They offer a comprehensive range covering filtration, UV treatment, purification, and RO membranes. You can also acquire systems, components, or accessories at competitive prices, often below the manufacturer’s suggested retail price. Their transparent pricing ensures you’re informed of your options. Serv-A-Pure backs its products with a 100% money-back guarantee for delivery, performance, or authenticity issues.
Enjoy free ground shipping to the contiguous U.S. on all orders over $150, which can lead to significant savings when ordering in bulk. Most items qualify, and by signing up for email notifications, you can receive occasional coupons to take advantage of additional deals effortlessly.
4. Puretec Industrial Water
Puretec Industrial Water offers a wide array of advanced ultrapure industrial water solutions. While their products may not be the least expensive, their unmatched quality and customer service more than compensate for the cost, reflected in a 98% customer satisfaction rating from over 6,000 clients.
Like other major suppliers, Puretec’s high-purity water solutions are engineered to comply with strict quality standards. They utilize semipermeable membranes to remove the majority of bacteria, dissolved solids, and contaminants found in feed water. Their commercial and industrial RO products are robustly constructed for long-term use, with high-recovery systems designed to reduce monthly energy, water, and labor expenses over time.
Value extends beyond lower utility bills; Puretec also offers 24/7 maintenance services for both pretreatment and post-treatment needs. If you order a deionized tank, you can benefit from next-day delivery or emergency services on the same day. All orders are processed within 24 hours.
5. Xylem
Originating as a pump manufacturing company, Xylem has evolved into a global leader in water purification solutions. With a workforce of 23,000 professionals across 150 countries, their research and development team holds over 8,300 patents and trademarks, showcasing their innovative strategies.
Xylem’s high-purity systems employ a combination of advanced treatments to meet or exceed stringent industry standards for vital applications across pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, chemicals, and municipal utilities. Customers can opt for packaged products featuring multiple units combined into a single preassembled system, or choose lab machines focused on delivering ultrapure water for critical scientific and analytical applications.
For example, the EPV Water Purification System is a complete high-purity solution designed for biopharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and medical device manufacturing. It comes ready for installation, with provisions for pretreatment, storage, and distribution, and supports flexible configurations such as hot water sanitization. This system fulfills several FAT protocols and exceeds various industry criteria.
The CENTRA-R60 R120 is a lab water system that integrates mechanical components and piping into a compact solution, optimizing purification, storage, and distribution. It offers up to 120 liters of water per hour, utilizing UV photo-oxidation, RO, deionization, and 0.2 micron filtration to provide a continuous supply of Type II and Type III water, complete with built-in access control and leak detection, and optional connectivity to building management systems.
6. High Purity Water Services
Headquartered in Ontario, High Purity Water Services provides coast-to-coast coverage across Canada, specializing in the design, installation, and servicing of turnkey products for the pharmaceutical, food and beverage, and industrial sectors. Their offerings include filtration, RO, disinfection, and UV sterilization systems with flow rates ranging from 1 to 200 gallons per minute.
Like other top companies, High Purity Water Services provides 24-hour emergency service. Their technicians guarantee response times, ensuring support is available anytime you encounter a technical or mechanical issue.
Their staff possess an unparalleled understanding of the products, which is why they also provide on-site training, calibration, troubleshooting, and repairs. This all-encompassing service approach adds significant value. Additionally, they adhere to strict production controls and conduct preventive maintenance, effectively minimizing repair costs, contamination risks, and unplanned downtime.
Following the highest Canadian and international quality standards, their manufacturing processes comply with ASTM and ISO benchmarks, including ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 45001. This commitment to quality ensures your systems are reliable, durable, and help yield an impressive return on your investment.
What Contributes to the Value of High-Purity Water Systems?
Value can be subjective as it hinges on factors driving sales, enhancing processes, or reducing expenses in your particular niche. However, specific general criteria should guide the evaluation of high-purity water systems. For instance, the lowest-priced options are not always the best choice. While budget-friendly options can be appealing, they may not offer the same performance or longevity, leading to higher costs over time.
Conversely, a pricier machine might represent a better value if it streamlines production processes, reduces energy costs, ensures regulatory compliance, or minimizes unplanned downtime. To identify the best solutions, look for features described as “energy-efficient,” “turnkey,” or “integrated.”
Some suppliers provide unique value-adding features, such as 24-hour emergency services, preventive maintenance, free shipping, or products that exceed regulatory expectations. These elements can be challenging to quantify or compare, so prioritize them based on what would benefit your operations the most:
| Company Name | Founded | Service Area | Main Value Drivers |
| MECO | 1928 | International | ∙ Strong compliance ∙ Custom turnkey solutions |
| US Water Systems | 2001 | Nationwide | ∙ Direct to customer ∙ Made in America |
| Serv-A-Pure | 1946 | Nationwide | ∙ Branded turnkey solutions ∙ Money-back guarantee |
| Puretec Industrial Water | 1964 | Nationwide | ∙ Energy-efficient systems ∙ Same-day order processing |
| Xylem | 2011 | International | ∙ Proprietary components ∙ Lab and packaged systems |
| High Purity Water Services | 2010 | Canada | ∙ 24-hour emergency service ∙ Strong compliance |
| ChemTreat | 1968 | Nationwide | ∙ Environmentally friendly ∙ Strong compliance |
The teams responsible for sales, support, and technician services can also drive value through their offerings. For instance, they might help you reduce vendor costs by providing extensive post-sales support. Alternatively, if they sell directly to you, they can cut out intermediaries, avoiding unnecessary expenses. As always, it’s important to identify which criteria align most closely with your needs.
Quality Standards to Consider
Many reputable businesses assert their high-purity water systems meet or exceed established quality standards, but what does this mean? One common standard is cGMP, which ensures that water used by manufacturers is safe, pure, and free of contamination. This standard is enforced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Another widely recognized standard comes from the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), which defines types of reagent water — specifically purified water utilized for critical applications in clinical settings, food production, and pharmaceutical manufacturing. Type I is categorized as ultrapure, Type II as purified, Type III as made from standard tap water and RO, making it suitable for general use, with Type IV being the least pure, often used in noncritical tasks like rinsing.
FAT protocols outline systematic testing and acceptance criteria employed by manufacturing facilities to validate the performance and specifications of newly produced machines before delivery. This is crucial, especially for custom designs intended for critical applications.
Manufacturers are also subject to ISO 9001:2015 standards, which belong to a set of globally recognized criteria developed by the International Organization for Standardization. These regulations apply to quality management systems, mandating firms to demonstrate consistent performance and adherence to regulatory requirements, applying to organizations of all types and sizes.
Which High-Purity Water System Will You Choose?
The high-purity water system you select will significantly impact your operational efficiency and product quality. Choosing the right system is vital. Advanced filtration solutions effectively remove impurities and contaminants, making them suitable for even the most demanding applications. As you evaluate potential options, consider additional features and services that align with your needs.
Author Bio
Jane is an environmental writer and the founder and editor-in-chief of Environment.co, where she covers topics on sustainability and eco-friendly living.
