Balancing Lab Water Purity with Sustainability
Resource Guide

Balancing Lab Water Purity with Sustainability

Considerations for reducing the environmental impact of purification processes without impacting quality

Written byMilliporeSigma andLab Manager

Labs are water guzzlers, consuming up to five times more potable water than similarly sized commercial buildings on average. This high demand stems from the fundamental role water plays in a wide variety of applications, from basic cleaning to sensitive experimental procedures. However, the problem doesn’t stop there. The processes used to purify this water for lab use can also take an environmental toll.  

Balancing Lab Water Purity with Sustainability

Water purity, typically categorized into types or grades, is directly tied to the sustainability of the purification process. Ultrapure reagent-grade water (often referred to as Type I or Grade I), essential for tasks like tissue culture or trace analysis, requires more expensive and resource-intensive purification processes, like ion exchange. Meanwhile, laboratory feed-grade water, for example, ASTM’s Type III and IV, can be produced through multiple more sustainable methods, like reverse osmosis, for use in rinsing glassware and other standard processes. It is imperative for water purification grades and applications to be paired properly, as insufficiently purified water can introduce contaminants that compromise results, create difficulties in data interpretation, damage equipment, and delay project timelines, ultimately hindering scientific progress. Lab managers must strike a delicate balance between upholding research integrity and the imperative to minimize costs and their environmental footprint. 

Fortunately, improving sustainability in water purification is possible. Conducting a water audit to assess consumption levels and identify inefficiencies is a crucial first step in this pursuit. Using the right purity level for each application, recycling and reusing water where appropriate, and adopting energy-efficient purification technologies can also greatly reduce your environmental impact.

Download this eBook to learn how to:

  • Assess your lab's water usage
  • Differentiate between lab water standards and select the right quality grade
  • Optimize and maintain purification systems
  • Select the most suitable purification technology for your lab’s needs
  • Make the business case for sustainable investments

Top Image Credit:

CURRENT ISSUE - May/June 2025

The Benefits, Business Case, And Planning Strategies Behind Lab Digitalization

Joining Processes And Software For a Streamlined, Quality-First Laboratory

Lab Manager May/June 2025 Cover Image