Mobile MaxPure™ FAQ’s

The Mobile MaxPure™ (MMP) is a solar powered water purification unit comprised of a 7 ft cube containing a 4 kW folding solar array and an embedded 31kWh gel battery bank. The primary purpose of the Mobile MaxPure™ is to pump and purify existing water sources to make potable water. It accomplishes this by using both filtration and ultra violet light for fresh water applications or reverse osmosis and filtration for salt water applications. The Mobile MaxPure™ also has the ability to produce 3kW of supplementary AC power. An optional communications package and customized flatbed trailer for transportation are available.

The Mobile MaxClear™ (MMC) has the same intention as the Mobile MaxPure™, the system can purify fresh water, brackish or seawater and provide reliable energy, only in lesser amounts than the Mobile MaxPure™.  The MMC is powered using a 900 watt solar array, the MMP is designed with 4 kW array.  Unlike the MMP, the MMC foundation is comprised of a 4′ x 6′ enclosed trailer, the trailer is DOT licensed and is equipped with a military style pintle hitch for ease of towing.  The MMC can provide up to 10,000 gallons (38,000 liters) of fresh water per day depending on the amount of sunlight provided, reverse osmosis systems can provide up to 1,000 gallons (3,800 liters) of water per day.  The Mobile MaxPure™ can purify up to 30,000 gallons (113,500 liters) of freshwater per day and 3,000 gallons (11,350 liters) using reverse osmosis technology.  The MMP weighs approximately 6200 lbs. the MMC weights 1350 lbs.

Mobile MaxPure™ has the capability to pump 70 – 100,000 gpd of water purposely for flood dewatering or irrigation, the MMC has the same capability but with a lesser flow rate.

The Mobile MaxPure™ can pump and purify up to 30 gallons per minute (GPM) or 1,800 gallons per hour (GPH) from polluted freshwater sources. Running on batteries during the night, this will result in an average of 30,000 gallons per day (GPD) of purified water.

The Mobile MaxPure™ can also perform reverse osmosis and purification for brackish and saltwater sources. The brackish water system can provide an average of 4,000 gallons of potable water each day while the seawater purification system produces an average of 3,000 gallons of potable water daily. This is in addition to providing supplemental AC power generated from the 3 kW inverter. The Mobile MaxPure™ is a standalone unit with all functions powered directly from the rays of the sun.

If the water purification system is bypassed and the Mobile MaxPure™ is only pumping water (no purification) it can pump 75,000 to 100,000 GPD in a 24 hour period.

The Mobile MaxPure™ is a completely self contained unit that is fully operational without the addition of a trailer. Designed into the standard Mobile MaxPure™ frame are forklift tubes on all sides as well as lifting rings and integrated spreader bars to allow for sling loading under a helicopter or crane. Any flat bed or box truck with a 7,000 lb load capacity will be able to transport the Mobile MaxPure™.  In the event you do want increased ease in transportability, WorldWater & Solar Technologies, Inc. does offer a specialized trailer to facilitate wheeled transport of the Mobile MaxPure™.  The trailer is optional and sold separately.

The Mobile MaxPure™ trailer is custom designed to accommodate the MaxPure™ frame dimensions. It is a flat deck trailer, rated for 9,900 lb GVW, with tandem electric braked axles. The trailer dimensions are 7 ft 2 inches wide by 12 ft long with an unloaded weight of 1,100 lbs. The trailer is available with either a military style pintle hitch or a ball style hitch.

The Mobile MaxPure™ in the stored mode is an approximate 7 ft cube (75”Hx78”Wx96”L) weighing approximately 6,200 lbs. when ready to ship. Two Mobile MaxPure™ units can fit into a 20 foot cargo container; 4 Mobile MaxPure™ units in a 40 foot container.

Once deployed and operational, the footprint of the array is approximately 17 feet wide by 15 feet deep. The rear of the array is 11 feet high and the front is 4 feet high.

The MMP must be placed on a solid, level surface. This may be directly on the ground or on a concrete pad, depending on your site conditions. Ideally, the deployment location is no more than 50’ from the water source. The water source should be tested to ensure sufficient flow and to identify the contaminants present.

The Moblie MaxPure™ includes a 31 kWh embedded battery bank consisting of sealed, gelled electrolyte, batteries. Since they are sealed, they are “maintenance-free,” they cannot leak battery acid, and no fumes are produced. They are certified as “non-spillable and non-hazardous” and can be shipped by air without special packaging containers.

Battery life is a function of several factors: How often the batteries are discharged (less is better); the depth of the discharge (shallow is better than deep discharges); the ambient temperature the batteries operate in; and the number of years in service. The battery manufacturer provides a one year warranty regardless of where the unit is located. Battery packs will need to be replaced on the average of every five years.

During storage (with no solar or generator input) the battery bank will suffer as 2% per month stand loss of charge. To eliminate this potential discharge the top two solar panels of the Mobile MaxPure™ unit are always connected to the charger to keep the battery bank topped off. Alternatively, grid power can also be connected to the generator input on the Mobile MaxPure™ to keep the batteries fully charged in shaded storage conditions.

The unit is warranted for one year (365 days) from date of shipment for any manufacturer or component defects. Once the unit leaves the WorldWater loading dock, any damage that might be incurred during transportation is the responsibility of the purchaser. The unit is packed securely.

Pass-through warranties from some of the component manufacturers are: Batteries are warranted for one year. Charge controller, inverter/charger, and system controller are warranted for two years. The solar panels have a 25 year design life.

No. All necessary items are included, either installed on the MMP or furnished in the Field Support Package which comes standard with each MMP. A one year average supply of filters and other consumable parts are included in the original purchase price of the Mobile MaxPure™ unit. Additional Field Support Packages are also available for purchase should you choose to procure extra Packages.

In addition, the unit is tested at the factory as a total system with the batteries, filters, pumps and electronics, completely assembled. The only onsite assembly is plugging the extension cord from the submersible pump into proper receptacle on the Mobile MaxPure™, attaching the input hose from the submersible pump into the inlet fitting, and connecting the outlet hose from the outlet fitting to the 2,500 gallon “pillow” tank.

Typically within 15 to 30 minutes after positioning the Mobile MaxPure™ near the water source, the unit can be operational and producing potable water.

The Mobile MaxPure™ unit is able to operate a pump motor of up to 3 HP. The included 1.5 HP pump is capable of producing the required 30 GPM for the water filtration system at depths down to 100 FT. The performance characteristics are described in the pump curve below (model 33GS10).

The fresh water Mobile MaxPure™ needs 40 PSI of inlet pressure at a flow rate of no more than 30 GPM. With respect to head pressure this equates to a water source located between 100 feet and 150 feet vertically above the Mobile MaxPure™ unit. If these parameters describe the operating location of the Mobile MaxPure™ then the unit can be operated without a pump by gravity flow only.

The Reverse Osmosis Mobile MaxPure™ system requires a much higher pressure to force water through the membranes and therefore is not able to be operated on gravity pressure alone.

Both of these technologies address pathogens—bacteria and viruses, but in a different manner.

Ultra violet light is a wavelength of light that will kill pathogens. (Note: The Mobile MaxPure™ has a safety feature built-in whereby if the UV lamp goes out, the water going through the UV filter is automatically shut off. No non-treated water will pass through the UV filter. However, since there are two parallel redundant filtering systems in the Mobile MaxPure™, the other UV unit will continue to provide potable water—but at half the normal production.)

The reverse osmosis technology is the passing of water through a semi-permeable membrane to remove viruses, bacteria, dissolved solids, organics and salts. The product water that exits the membrane is potable.

RO systems use a lot of energy to force the untreated water through the membrane. This is why our UV (Fresh Water Mobile MaxPure™) can produce an average of 30,000 gallons per day (GPD) of potable water, versus 4,000 GPD for the Brackish purification system and 3,000 GPD for the Seawater purification system. In general terms, the fresh water purification system will remove suspended solids from the source water and the salt water purification system will remove dissolved solids from the source water.

An additional feature of the Mobile MaxPure™ water treatment systems is that they are modular. One overall Mobile MaxPure™ power generation system can be adapted to filter both fresh and salt water by removing one purification system and replacing it with the other type. Salt or fresh water purification modules are available for individual purchase for this purpose. The changeover of filtration systems takes about 20 minutes and can be accomplished by two people.

Parts Per Million (PPM) is a measure of concentration. When dealing with RO systems, PPM is important. Usually with salty water, the majority of the PPM numbers are from sodium and chloride (everyday salt). Along with other items in the salt water such as magnesium, calcium, potassium, —all of these become the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) measured in mg/liter.

The Brackish Mobile MaxPure™ can process source water with a TDS level of up to 32,000 PPM. The Seawater Mobile MaxPure™ can process source water with a TDS level of up to 45,000 PPM.

No, it is possible to find “salty/brackish” water inland, where the ground water is located in soil that is high in salts. This is why, ideally, it is a good idea to test the water for TDS of salts before ordering the Mobile MaxPure™.

The presence of dissolved solids may affect its taste. The palatability of drinking water in relation to its TDS levels is as follows: excellent, less than 300 mg/liter: good, between 300 and 600 mg/litre: fair, between 600 and 900 mg/liter: poor, between 900 and 1,200 mg/liter: and unacceptable, greater than 1,200 mg/liter. (Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality, World Health Organization, 1996)

Freshwater-source Mobile MaxPure™ purification systems are not suited for brackish water and brackish water purification systems are not suited to handle sea water applications.

Freshwater

The first filter is the coarse debris filter. This is comprised of a washable and reusable mesh screen with 1/32” openings. The purpose of this filter is to remove large debris from the source water and to extend the life of the other filters.

The second filter is the dual density 50 to 5 micron sediment filter. It is manufactured from spun poly fiber and is designed to remove fine particulates such as dust and sand. While it can last up to 3 months before replacement, in sandy/dusty environments it may have to be replaced every few weeks.

The third filter is the 0.5 micron carbon filter. It is manufactured using a “charcoal” process from coconut shells. (This is a great way of utilizing a renewable resource). It is excellent in removing chlorine and similar materials, and improves the taste of the water.

The final stage of purification from polluted freshwater sources in the Mobile MaxPure™ is the ultraviolet light (UV) process which renders biological pathogens inert.

Reverse Osmosis

The first filter is the coarse debris filter. This is comprised of a washable and reusable mesh screen with 1/32” openings. The purpose of this filter is to remove large debris from the source water and to extend the life of the other filters.

The second filter is a 25 micron sediment filter, also known as the sediment pre-filter. It is manufactured from spun poly fiber and is designed to remove fine particulates such as dust and sand. While in can last up to 3 months before replacement, in sandy/dusty environments, it may have to be replaced every 3 to 4 weeks.

The third filter is a 5 micron sediment filter that removes additional particulates from the water.

In the final stage the salt source water is then filtered through a series of reverse osmosis membranes, straining salts and biological pathogens from the water.

The frequency of filter changes is strictly a function of how contaminated the source water is and how much sediment is present in it. For example, for every carbon filter replaced, multiple sediment filters will have to be replaced as they are upstream in the filtration process and closer to the source water. The sediment load of the source water will determine this replacement schedule.

Included in the original purchase price, each Mobile MaxPure™ is shipped with an average one year supply of filters and other consumable parts. Replacement filter sets are available for purchase from WorldWater & Solar Technologies, Inc. in 6 month blocks. See the Products page of the website for more detailed information.

Upon reaching the end of their useful life, filter elements and UV lamps in the purification system must be replaced with new cartridges. An average one year’s supply of filters is included in the original purchase price of the Mobile MaxPure™ with additional filters available for purchase from WorldWater & Solar Technologies in 6 month blocks.

For a unit in daily use, the estimated annual maintenance costs for filters are approximately $5,000 USD per year.

A number of safety features have been designed into the unit. When deploying the solar array, safety pins are fitted into the array to reduce the likelihood of an accidentally dropped section. Safety braces are built in to provide redundant support of the array after the hydraulic system is used to put the array into position.

Safety features have also been built in to ensure highest quality water output. The parallel design of the filtration system from freshwater sources ensures that if one portion of the filtration system needs service all water input can be easily diverted into the other portion, allowing for continual operation by turning a manually operated valve.

In the event a UV bulb fails, the water coming into the filtration system will automatically be diverted into the operational filtration system. Indicator lights will appear to inform the operator if a UV-bulb change is necessary. No non-treated water will pass through the UV filter; the other UV unit will continue to provide potable water—but at half the normal production. In both the Freshwater and Reverse Osmosis purification systems, operators will know filters must be changed when flow is noticeably decreased.

The Mobile MaxPure™ freshwater system will remove waterborne infectious microorganisms such as protozoa, parasites, bacteria, fungi, algae, and viruses. Additionally the system will reduce levels of mercury, lead, heptachlor, chlordane and total dissolved solids. Finally the system provides a pleasant taste by reducing turbidity and improving color and removing odors.

Reverse osmosis systems treat for each of the contaminants that the freshwater purification filtration treats, using reverse osmosis membranes. These reverse osmosis membranes in the final step of saline water purification process also effectively remove dissolved solids such as salts, as well as viruses, bacteria, fungi, algae and protozoa.

The table below lists many common microorganisms and dissolved solids removed by the reverse osmosis purification process in addition to the removed contaminants shown above.

If you have other contaminants in your water please consult a WorldWater representative to determine the purification customization that may be needed to create purified water from your source.

The frame of the Mobile MaxPure™ is powder coated steel to allow operation for many years without rusting. Much of the other materials are stainless steel or aluminum. The deck material is synthetic wood to prevent deterioration. Additionally, all control electronics are marine grade – designed for salty, humid, environments and are sealed from the elements.

There are some conditions that would limit operation of the Mobile MaxPure™. If high winds are encountered (above 60 mph) the solar array should be stowed. The Mobile MaxPure™ should not be operated in below freezing conditions as the water system components will freeze. If the unit is to be stored in below freezing environments the entire water system must be drained and dried. Operation at latitudes higher than 40º will result in less than optimum collection of solar irradiation.

The solar array is rated against breakage for the impact of up to one inch hail stones. It is unlikely that a solar panel would suffer breakage during normal operating conditions. Glass breakage in solar panels used worldwide in mobile applications is extremely rare.

If the glass does break the panels will still be producing solar electricity, though at a reduced efficiency. Damaged solar panels should be replaced to allow the unit to operate at peak efficiency. Replacement panels are available for purchase from WorldWater & Solar Technologies, Inc.

Yes. Even on cloudy days there is a significant amount of solar energy collected by the MMP solar array. Additionally, the on-board battery storage provides for night-time water purification and power generation. During periods of cloudy weather the Mobile MaxPure™ unit has enough reserve battery capacity designed in to continue to operate 24 hours per day.

For reference, a completely charged Mobile MaxPure™ unit operated with no solar input at all (inside a dark building) will operate for 24 to 36 hours before needing recharging.

No. When the MMP is first positioned, it should be placed so the solar array is facing south when north of the equator, and facing north when south of the equator. The solar array can be set at a horizontal position (at the equator) or at a 25 degree tilt. Once set, the array needs no further adjustment.

Yes. The MMP inverter system generates a pure sine wave which is ideal for powering critical electronic devices.

Yes. The Mobile MaxPure™’s 3 kW inverter and associated 31 kWh battery bank can provide 25 amps of current at 120 VAC. This is ample power to operate saws, air compressors, power tools, and other electrical appliances.