Water treatment for HOAs and residential complexes

A residential complex in the evening: high-rise buildings with lit windows and a courtyard with a playground

Industrial water treatment

Water treatment for HOAs and residential complexes

Clean water for the whole building — one system instead of a filter in every apartment. We design and build such systems for apartment buildings, residential complexes and cottage communities.

  • Hardness, iron, pressure
  • Disinfection after the storage tank
Talk to an engineer Order a water analysis
  • In-house laboratorywater analysis and testing
  • 1,760+ completed projectsZIKO experience since 1993
  • Up to 5-year warrantyon solutions and equipment, under the contract terms
  • Service across Ukrainetechnical support and field service crews

Problems

Problems residents and property managers face

Water quality in an apartment building depends not only on the source but also on the condition of the pipes and tanks and how they are operated.

What poor-quality water damages

  • An electric kettle with a thick layer of scale inside

    Household appliances

    Hard water leaves scale on the heating elements of water heaters and washing machines: heat transfer drops and appliances wear out sooner.

  • A faucet with limescale and rust streaks

    Plumbing and pipelines

    Iron, manganese and suspended solids leave sediment, stain plumbing fixtures, clog fittings and build up in the building’s pipes.

  • A pressure gauge on a brass fitting with a ball valve

    Pressure and water supply

    Weak or unstable pressure on the upper floors can result from hydraulic design errors, pump operation or pipe resistance. That is why we design water treatment and the pump group together.

  • A glass of cloudy water with sediment at the bottom

    Water after storage tanks

    A dirty tank, stagnant water or improper operation raise the risk of secondary microbiological contamination.

For an HOA, the economics of the solution matter as much as water quality

We calculate equipment, operating and service costs and build in reliability. Co-owners get a well-grounded proposal they can take to a general meeting.

Water quality requirements

Water quality depends not only on the source but also on the pipes

Water from the city network must comply with DSanPiN 2.2.4-171-10. But its parameters change on the way through the pipes, tanks and building networks. That is why we take the sample at the building inlet, not from the water utility’s report.

The water’s path to the consumer

  1. Water utilityquality control at the station
  2. City networkskilometers of pipes: iron, secondary contamination
  3. Building inletsampling point
  4. Building pipes and tankwater stands still — without disinfection, microbiology deteriorates
  5. Resident’s tapwhat the resident sees and drinks

Which parameters need monitoring

What exactly to test depends on the source, lab data and the site’s specifics. We assess four groups of parameters.

  • Physicochemical: hardness, iron, manganese, ammonium, pH, mineralization.
  • Organoleptic: turbidity, color, odor and taste.
  • Microbiological: regulated by DSanPiN 2.2.4-171-10.
  • Secondary contamination: changes in water quality in internal pipes and tanks.

Parameter, standard, regulated by

ParameterStandardRegulated by
Manganeseundesirable above 0.05 mg/LDSanPiN 2.2.4-171-10
Ammonium≤ 0.5 mg/LDSanPiN 2.2.4-171-10
pH6.5–8.5DSanPiN 2.2.4-171-10

The target hardness for the building is set by appliance requirements and the general meeting’s decision.

Solution

A water treatment system designed for your building

Every residential complex has its own water supply conditions. That is why we define the equipment not from a standard layout but from the water analysis, hydraulic calculation and the building’s technical conditions.

Building-wide system or filters in apartments

Filters in apartments

  • Treat water only at individual points of use.
  • Each filter is maintained separately.
  • Do not solve water problems in the building’s pipes.
  • The result depends on how the filter was selected and maintained.

One system at the building inlet

  • Treats water for all designated consumers in the building.
  • We monitor water quality at the system outlet.
  • One control system and one contract for service.
  • Protects the building’s utility equipment from certain types of contamination.

Core treatment train

Added for this industry

Minimal involvement of building staff

There is no operator in the building, and the system runs around the clock. That is why we build in automatic backwash, an alternator and clear alarm signaling.

A cottage community? Wastewater — the same contractor

On-site wastewater treatment plants are a separate ZIKO line of work: wastewater treatment plants for cottage communities.

Completed projects

Systems already running in residential complexes

From treating mains water to complete water supply from wells — with storage tanks and pumping stations.

A modular water treatment station container with the ZIKO logo on site

Cottage community · Lviv region

Containerized modular station — 35 m³/h

Reverse osmosis, iron removal and disinfection in one station. The equipment is installed in modular containers.

  • Residential complex · Zakarpattia region

    Turnkey water supply

    • Borehole pumps, water treatment, storage tanks and pumping equipment
    • All equipment is housed in the utility rooms of a two-level parking garage

  • Residential complex · Lviv

    Treating water from the city mains

    • We reduce iron content
    • We adjust hardness to the level set by the client

Similar schemes run in other buildings too: an office complex in Lviv, a hotel in Lviv, a water utility in the Lviv region.

We will calculate the capacity for your buildingTell us the number of apartments — we will convert it to m³/h and m³/day for peak loads and the water supply mode.

Get a calculation

Cost

How much water treatment costs for an apartment building

We calculate the system cost individually: it depends on the raw water quality, capacity, the site’s technical conditions and treated water requirements.

Capital expenditure (CAPEX)

Equipment, automation, installation, commissioning and auxiliary infrastructure.

Operating expenditure (OPEX)

Electricity, water for process needs, chemicals, consumables, maintenance. For a residential building they weigh more than capital costs: they stay in the monthly fee for good.

Per apartment from the start

If needed, we prepare several options to compare the implementation budget and operating cost. We break the preliminary estimate down per apartment: that is the form in which the question goes to the general meeting.

Implementation stages and service

From the technical specification to stable system operation

We run the project from the site survey and lab tests to installation, start-up and service.

Stage 01 of 04

We survey the building and the water

We take the sample at the building inlet, not from the water utility’s report.

A water sample bottle, a flask and test tubes for laboratory water analysis
  1. Survey and water analysis
  2. Technical specification
From lab analysis to engineering solution

ZIKO has its own laboratory. We analyze the water and verify difficult cases with tests on filter media. Based on the results, we set the system requirements and design a solution for your building.

Stage 02 of 04

A solution you can take to the owners’ meeting

For an HOA, there is a step that production plants do not have — the general meeting’s decision. We come to it with a feasibility study and a per-apartment calculation.

A clipboard with a technical specification and a water treatment diagram, a ruler and a TDS meter
  1. Engineering solution and feasibility study
  2. General meeting decisionthe HOA’s step, with a per-apartment calculation

Stage 03 of 04

We design and install

We define the equipment based on the water analysis, hydraulic calculation and the building’s technical conditions.

Two water treatment vessels with automatic control valves and a brine tank
  1. Design
  2. Supply and installation

Stage 04 of 04

We commission and support

We support completed systems throughout their operation.

A ball valve with a pressure gauge, wrenches, PTFE tape and a filter cartridge for installation and service
  1. Commissioning
  2. Service support

Service life and schedule

We build the maintenance schedule around water quality, operating mode and equipment. Guideline intervals:

Ion exchange resin
3–7 years
Pretreatment cartridges
at least every 3 months
Salt and chemicals
based on actual consumption

Warranty and post-warranty maintenance

We set service terms and frequency in the contract. An HOA usually has no staff engineer. So we either maintain the system under contract or design it so that all a person needs to do is top up the salt.

  • Scheduled maintenance
  • Diagnostics
  • Treatment quality monitoring
  • Replacement of consumables
  • Equipment adjustment
Discuss your task with an engineer

Questions and answers

Most frequently asked questions about water treatment for HOAs and residential complexes

Didn’t find yours? Ask an engineer in the form below.

A white safety helmet, goggles and an engineer’s notebook
How does a building-wide system differ from apartment filters?

A building-wide system treats water centrally for designated consumers in the building and provides single technical control. Apartment filters treat water locally. The choice depends on water quality, residents’ needs and technical and economic feasibility.

Is water treatment needed if water comes from the city mains?

Compliance is confirmed at the water utility’s station outlet. On the way through city and building networks, the water picks up iron and secondary contamination. That is why we take the sample at the building inlet — it often differs from the supplier’s report.

How is system capacity calculated?

We calculate capacity in m³/h and m³/day from design water consumption, the number of apartments, occupancy, peak loads and the water supply mode.

Can a system be installed in an occupied building?

Yes. First we assess the utility rooms, existing services, network hydraulics and how to connect the equipment without significant interruptions to water supply.

How much does the system cost, and how much is that per apartment?

The cost depends on water quality, capacity, equipment configuration and installation conditions. We estimate capital and operating costs and break them down per apartment so the question can go to the general meeting.

Who will maintain the system, and who pays for salt and service?

ZIKO provides warranty and post-warranty maintenance under a service contract: diagnostics, scheduled work, replacement of consumables. The HOA includes the cost of salt and service in its fees. That is why the design shows the monthly upkeep cost from the start.

What happens if pressure drops in the city network?

For this, we include a clean water tank and a pumping station in the design. The treated water reserve keeps supply going while the city mains have no pressure.

Need water treatment for your building?

Start with a consultation with a ZIKO engineer. Tell us the number of apartments and attach a water analysis if you have one. We will tell you whether further tests are needed, help with the technical specification and give a preliminary cost estimate.

Consultation and preliminary estimate are free.

Phone: +38 095 93 21 273

Water sample bottles for laboratory analysis

Where to go next