Reverse Osmosis Consignment Solves Two Problems at Once

Reverse Osmosis Consignment

Consignment of a reverse osmosis system with WaterSurplus results in rapid investment recovery for one company and immediate delivery for another company caught in a time crunch.

Reverse Osmosis Consignment Project Background

New owners took over at a merchant facility to treat produced water from oil and gas operations in western North America. The new owners decided to transition the facility from reverse osmosis (RO) to evaporative techniques for treating the water. Rather than scrap their 450 gallons per minute (GPM) RO system that had not reached its end of life, the company contracted with WaterSurplus to recover its investment. In this case, a virtual consignment of the reverse osmosis system was arranged wherein WaterSurplus marketed the equipment while the system remained at its original location. This saved money for both parties and minimized the carbon footprint of the transaction by avoiding unnecessary transportation.

Within a couple of months, WaterSurplus was approached by a second company. This one, a nuclear fuel production plant located geographically close to the merchant facility was in a tough situation. They needed a 450 GPM RO right away and they had learned about WaterSurplus’s Availability Advantage. Typical lead times for new OEM ROs are 12-16 weeks. With our vast inventory and quick shipping, WaterSurplus can typically mobilize an “as is” used or surplus system within 2-4 weeks. But In this case, we had just agreed to sell a gently used 450 GPM RO located right in their backyard.

Result

Our RO expert flew to Wyoming to help the customer assess whether the consigned RO would meet all of the project requirements and to confirm that any site-specific retrofits could, in fact, be completed. Within a couple of days, the deal was done and the RO was delivered from the consignor to its new owner. Because of the proximity of the buyer and seller, and our ability to match them up, the deal was closed in record time.

The buyer of the RO realized additional benefits by purchasing a complete set of our surplus RO membrane elements. These used membranes are inspected, cleaned, and preserved in our state-of-the-art facility. Surplus membranes typically cost about 60% less than new membranes. Surplus membranes can ship immediately from our inventory, compared with the typical 6-7 week lead time for new membranes. By selecting surplus membranes, companies are contributing to their sustainability efforts by purchasing a recycled product that might otherwise have ended up in a landfill.

WaterSurplus has led the way in industrial reverse osmosis consignments for more than 30 years. Tap into our vast international network of buyers and let us help you turn your surplus water treatment assets into cash. Learn more about our investment recovery options here.

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