In Iraq’s hot climate, demand for safe 5-gallon barrel water for homes and offices is high and steady. For a new plant, a reliable automatic line with strong water treatment is essential to handle challenging source water and guarantee quality.
This case study documents an 800 BPH automatic 5-gallon barrel water line that zoolinked mechanical designed and delivered for a new water plant in Baghdad, Iraq.
Project Overview
| Item | Detail |
| Location | Baghdad, Iraq |
| Product | 5-gallon (18.9 L) refillable barrel water |
| Designed capacity | 800 barrels per hour (BPH) |
| Water source | Municipal (high TDS) |
| Plant footprint | Approx. 190 m² |
| Operators required | 3 per shift |
| Scope | Turnkey: design, manufacturing, installation, commissioning, training |
1. Project Background & Client Requirements
The investor set up a new plant to supply homes and offices with 5-gallon barrels across the city, where safe drinking water demand is strong.
Local source water carried high TDS and hardness, so robust treatment was critical to deliver good-tasting, safe water and protect the equipment.
The client set several clear requirements for the project:
- Robust treatment for high-TDS, hard source water
- Automated washing and filling of 5-gallon barrels
- Reliable sealing for safe delivery
- Purified water meeting drinking water standards
- Target output of around 800 barrels per hour
2. Raw Water Analysis
Our engineers reviewed the municipal water report, which showed high TDS and hardness typical of the region:
- TDS: high → two-stage RO for reliable low-TDS output
- Hardness: high → softening to protect RO membranes
- Chlorine/odor: present → activated carbon filtration
- Microbial safety: UV + ozone dual disinfection
3. Turnkey Solution & Process Flow
zoolinked mechanical delivered a complete automatic 5-gallon barrel water line with strengthened treatment. The full process flow is:
- Municipal water tank → feed pump
- Multi-media (sand) filter — removes turbidity
- Activated carbon filter — removes chlorine and odor
- Water softener — protects RO from high hardness
- 5 µm security filter
- Two-stage reverse osmosis (RO) — reliable low-TDS water from high-TDS source
- Purified water storage tank (SUS304)
- UV + ozone disinfection
- Automatic barrel decapper & internal/external brush washing
- Rinsing, filling & capping station — 800 BPH; cap sorting, lid pressing & heat-shrink sealing
4. Equipment Configuration
The line was configured for tough source water and full automation:
| Equipment | Specification / Function |
| Water treatment train | Sand + carbon, softening |
| Two-stage RO system | Low-TDS output from high-TDS source |
| UV + ozone disinfection | Dual sterilization |
| Barrel decapper & washer | Internal/external brush washing |
| Filling & capping station | Rinse-fill-cap, 800 BPH |
| Cap sorter, press & shrink seal | Automatic capping + shrink seal |
5. Installation & Commissioning
After factory testing, the line was installed in the 190 m² facility. Installation and commissioning took about three weeks, including:
- Layout and connection of the two-stage RO treatment system
- Installing the barrel decapper, washer and filling station
- Setting up cap sorting, lid pressing and shrink-sealing
- Trial runs with hygiene, TDS and fill-volume checks
- Water testing to confirm drinking water compliance
6. Operator Training
The plant crew was trained on:
- Start-up, shutdown and CIP cleaning
- Monitoring two-stage RO performance and softener regeneration
- Operating the barrel washer and filling station
- Routine maintenance and troubleshooting
7. Results & Return on Investment
The line delivered safe, good-tasting barrel water despite challenging source water:
- Stable output: 800 barrels/hour
- Two-stage RO reliably handled high-TDS source water
- Standardized hygiene and reliable sealing ensured safe delivery
- The new plant built a growing home and office customer base
With dependable quality from difficult source water, the plant established itself quickly and is on track to recover its investment within the first year.
Conclusion
This Baghdad project shows how a robust two-stage RO barrel line delivers safe, good-tasting water even from high-TDS sources. From strengthened water treatment through automated washing, filling and sealing, zoolinked mechanical delivered a complete turnkey solution.
Planning Your Own Packaged Drinking Water Plant?
zoolinked mechanical delivers complete sachet, bottle and barrel water lines — from raw water analysis and process design to manufacturing, installation, commissioning and operator training. Tell us your target output, water source and packaging format, and our engineers will prepare a tailored proposal and quotation for your 5-gallon barrel water line.
