Case Study: UPS Installation for a UK Water Treatment Works

Sector: Water & Utilities
Application: Motor Control Centre (MCC) Panels

Project Overview

We were appointed to deliver a high-capacity UPS solution for a UK water treatment works, supporting critical electrical infrastructure within a highly regulated operational environment. The project formed part of wider resilience measures to ensure continuity of service and compliance with increasingly stringent environmental regulations.

The Challenge

Water treatment works operate as critical national infrastructure, where even short power interruptions can disrupt operations and increase the risk of environmental incidents. With government penalties for sewage spills continuing to rise, the site required a reliable UPS solution to protect key MCC panels.

MCC panels control and distribute power to essential motors, pumps, and treatment processes, making them fundamental to maintaining safe and continuous operation across the site. Protecting these systems is critical to ensuring stability during power disturbances and enabling systems to function throughout outages safely.

The installation was complicated by limited access to a newly constructed electrical room, which required scissor lifts to raise the UPS systems through a floor opening into the new electrical room.

Our Solution

We designed and supplied a tailored UPS configuration using our HE series, selected for its suitability in high-load, mission-critical applications, consisting of four UPS systems:

• Three HE73380 80kVA UPS systems, each installed with cladded battery stands, providing 6 minutes autonomy at full load

• One HE733120 120kVA UPS system, installed with a cladded battery stand, providing 5 minutes autonomy at full load

This configuration provides reliable short-term power continuity for critical MCC panels, supporting operational stability during grid disturbances and unplanned outages.

While we can supply WIMES IP54-compliant high ingress protection enclosures for installations exposed to harsh or contaminated environments, however these were not required for this particular site. The UPS systems were installed within a clean, dry, and dust-free room, allowing a standard enclosure specification to be used without compromising equipment protection or compliance.

Outcome & Value

• Enhanced power resilience for critical water treatment operations

• Reduced risk of unplanned downtime and environmental incidents

• Improved protection of MCC panels and associated assets

• Alignment with AMP8 priorities, where infrastructure resilience and regulatory compliance are key drivers

Find out more about our UPS solutions for the water sector, or Contact Us to make an enquiry.