CLIENT PROJECT
Netcare Unitas Hospital
Overview
Netcare Unitas, a 469-bed private hospital in Centurion, experienced ongoing issues with scale formation, corrosion, and high maintenance costs across its hot- and cold-water systems. The hospital relied on Rand Water supply through Centurion municipality and stored water in several bulk tanks with a combined capacity exceeding 500 000 litres.
Years of operation led to scale build-up on autoclave heater elements and boilers, resulting in energy inefficiency, frequent part replacements, and costly maintenance downtime. The hospital’s engineering team investigated multiple water-treatment technologies, including electronic descalers, ozone enrichment, and traditional filtration plants.
Solution
In late 2015, Netcare Unitas installed a Wellan 2000 ring as part of a controlled trial within the CSSD (Central Sterile Services Department) and radiology water systems. The ring was fitted in-line without cutting pipes, using no chemicals, magnets, or electricity.
The installation was completed in minutes and required no maintenance or monitoring. The team compared Wellan’s performance to previous systems to measure improvements in scale control, water quality, and equipment efficiency.
Results
The results were immediate and measurable:
- Significant reduction in limescale and corrosion throughout autoclaves, humidifiers, and boiler elements.
- Improved energy efficiency as heating elements operated without heavy mineral build-up.
- Reduced maintenance — fewer valve, strainer, and element replacements.
- Cleaner, smoother water flow across more than 2.5 km of reticulation piping.
- Estimated capital and operating cost savings of more than R265 000, compared with the alternative filtration system.
Client feedback
Christo Gouw
“From our trial we can only observe and confirm some of the advantages. The installation is seamless, requires no power, and truly is maintenance-free. Scale build-up reduced significantly in the humidifiers and autoclaves. We can safely assume that electricity consumption has gone down and water flow has improved.”