The first machine in every bottling line - the sizing rule, the treatment chain, TDS and taste, and indicative 2026 prices.
Every bottling line conversation starts with blow machines and fillers - but the first machine that touches your product is the water treatment plant. It decides your taste, your shelf life and your certification. It is also the most commonly mis-sized machine in the industry, because it is the only one that cannot be specified from a catalogue: your source water is unique.
This guide walks the treatment chain, gives the sizing rule, and explains why the water test comes before every purchase decision. The full business context is in our water bottling plant guide, and the machine after treatment - the bottle - in our PET line guide.
First StepBefore any RO is quoted, get a laboratory test of your source water: TDS (total dissolved solids), hardness, iron, chloride and pH. A 1,500 TDS borehole and a 300 TDS well need completely different plants - different pre-treatment, different membranes, different prices. The test costs almost nothing; skipping it costs a membrane set within months.
Raw water tank, sand and carbon filters removing sediment, chlorine and organics - protecting everything downstream.
Antiscalant dosing and, where hardness demands it, a softener - preventing scale on the RO membranes.
Membranes at high pressure stripping TDS down to single digits. The core of the plant, sized in litres per hour.
Remineralisation or blending for taste, then ozone or UV and a stainless storage tank feeding the filler.
For every litre you bottle, plan 1.2 to 1.5 litres of treated capacity - the margin covers membrane rinsing, CIP cleaning and reject water. A line doing 2,000 one-litre bottles a day over an 8-hour shift needs roughly 3,000-3,750 LPH of RO. Size to your production hours, not your daily total.
Serves starter lines up to roughly 800 bottles a day. Full pre-treatment included.
The growth range - automatic operation, dosing, stainless storage.
Multi-membrane automatic plants for serious volume, with CIP and online monitoring.
Bands assume moderate feed water. High TDS, iron or hardness change the pre-treatment and the price - one more reason the test comes first.
RO membranes strip water to near-zero TDS - and customers reject it: flat, almost soapy on the palate. Every successful bottled water brand targets a TDS band, typically 50-150 mg/L, and gets there in one of two ways: blending a calculated share of raw water back in, or remineralising with food-grade mineral dosing after the membranes. Either way, the RO plant is designed for it from day one - tell us your target TDS at inquiry and the plant is built to land on it.
Simple and cheap, but only precise if raw water quality is stable.
Dosing calcium and magnesium after RO - consistent taste regardless of raw water swings. The professional default.
The final polish before filling - residual ozone protects the product through its shelf life.
Guessing TDS means guessing pre-treatment - and pre-treatment is what stands between your membranes and an early grave.
Every shilling saved on softeners and dosing is repaid threefold in membranes, downtime and rejected batches.
Near-zero TDS water passes the lab and fails the customer. Design the taste in.
Membranes last 1-3 years. Keep a spare set on the shelf - our support and 7-day spares cover the rest.
A simple rule: 1.2 to 1.5 litres of treated water per litre bottled. A 2,000-bottle-per-day line at 1 L bottles needs roughly 3,000 LPH - confirmed after your water test.
Indicative ex-works India: $4,000-$8,000 for 500-1,000 LPH, $8,000-$15,000 for 1,000-3,000 LPH and $15,000+ for larger automatic systems with full pre-treatment.
TDS, hardness and iron levels decide the pre-treatment: softeners, dosing systems and membrane choice. Sizing an RO without the test is the number one cause of early membrane failure and bad-tasting water.
Most markets expect TDS in the 50-150 mg/L band. Pure RO water at near-zero TDS tastes flat, so blending or remineralisation is standard practice.
Typically 1-3 years depending on feed water quality and pre-treatment. With proper protection, membranes are a planned running cost - not a surprise.
Send the lab report and your target bottles per day - get a treatment plant sized, priced and laid out within 24 hours. No test yet? We will tell you exactly what to order from your local lab.