Aqua Design

Process Design Pack - Turning Project Need and Intent into EPC-Ready Design

One clear process design pack covering load cases, sizing, equipment schedules, connections, and review criteria - so your detailed engineering partner or EPC can move into IFC and procurement with the scope and limits already set out.

Vendor-ready Variant-based (STP+, ETP+, Retrofit...) Owner’s advisor Review-focused

At a glance - what you get

Think of the Process Design Pack as one structured project pack. It gives you everything you need to set out the job clearly for vendors and design partners, without tying you to any one supplier or EPC partner.

Where stamped IFC is needed, we work with your engineer of record or design partners while staying on as the owner’s advisor to keep feasibility inputs, project basis, and review criteria intact through delivery.

One integrated pack

A single FlowPlan design & advisory pack that ties together process overview, design ranges, PFDs, equipment list, controls and monitoring concept, and review criteria around a clear project type.

Ready for your vendors

Structured inputs that vendors and EPCs can pick up immediately for pricing and detailing - without having to guess your intent, limits or record expectations.

Project basis & review built in

KPIs, sampling points, factory and site check points and early-operation checks are designed in from the start, so everyone knows what success looks like before equipment is ordered.

Backed by FlowPlan project variants

The same logic powers STP+, ETP+, retrofit, UFRO+ and built-environment reuse (GWTP, VWRP), so your design pack reflects project families already recognised in the market.

How this works in practice

This service usually starts once you’ve decided to procure or upgrade a plant - for example an STP+, ETP+ or onsite reuse system - and need a Process Design Pack your chosen partners can implement.

  1. Confirm the variant & objectives. We align on the FlowPlan variant (e.g. STP+, ETP+, GWTP, VWRP, UFRO+) and on the KPIs, reuse/compliance targets and constraints already agreed in feasibility or internally.
  2. Assemble the inputs. You share drawings, as-builts, current P&IDs, logs and water-quality data; where gaps exist, we specify what needs to be tested or surveyed and can coordinate this with your local lab or partner.
  3. Build the design pack in passes. We develop the process route, limits, preliminary hydraulics, electromechanical scope and controls/automation concept, reviewing each pass with your team in short working sessions.
  4. Land a complete design pack on your table. You receive a complete Process Design Pack - including a structured list of electromechanical equipment, proprietary packages and panels - with clear next steps for detailed design, procurement and commissioning.
  5. Stay on as advisor through the remaining stages. If you wish, we then support you as owner-side advisor through RFQs/specs, design reviews with your EOR/EPC, vendor alignment, factory and site checks, and early operation ranges.

What you get

FlowPlan design & advisory packs by variant

Each Process Design Pack engagement is built around a concrete project type you already recognise - an STP, an ETP, a retrofit, a membrane reuse stage, or onsite reuse such as greywater or vehicle wash water. For each variant, we assemble a combined design and advisory pack that can be delivered anywhere and then taken forward by your engineer of record, EPC or vendors. The STP+, ETP+, retrofit and ZLD-focused FlowPlan project variants are configured as vendor-ready design & advisory packs - with key project choices available to clients, leading to custom and targeted fit-for-purpose designs.

FlowPlan Project Variant

FlowPlan - STP+

Process Design & Advisory for municipal and decentralised STPs.

Process: MBBR-hybrid biological stage with clarification, polishing and sludge handling, configured around your actual flows and loads.

Sector: Domestic sewage from cities, townships and institutions - new plants, expansions or upgrades of stressed / non-compliant STPs.

Pack includes: A vendor-ready process configuration with limits, reuse/compliance route, sludge path and monitoring/review outline that your design partners and solution providers can act on.

Delivers: process design scheme, BoM, specs & technical notes, commercial snapshot, and a visual map of water and sludge streams.

Project choices you set

Set your project preferences early through FlowPlan diagnostics.

Reuse focus Reuse-led
Discharge only Blended High reuse
Effluent quality band Class A ready
Minimum Improved High assurance
Automation & monitoring Smart-ready
Basic Supervised Remote / advanced
FlowPlan Project Variant

FlowPlan - STP+ Retrofit

Process Design & Advisory for retrofit and capacity upgrades of STPs.

Process: Reconfiguration of existing basins, addition of key units and controls, and rerouting of flows to stabilise and uplift performance.

Sector: Municipal STPs with usable civil structures but chronic performance, odour or compliance issues.

Pack includes: Retrofit options with a preferred route, impact on civil works, and a vendor-ready concept aligned with your upgrade budget.

Delivers: retrofit process scheme, upgrade BoM, impact notes, commercial snapshot, and a visual of pre/post water and sludge pathways.

Project choices you set

Clarify retrofit constraints and uplift targets before locking the design.

Civil & space reuse High reuse
Minimal changes Partial reuse Max reuse
Performance uplift target Higher class
Stabilise Improve High reuse / class
Automation & upgrade depth Targeted
Keep basics Selected upgrades Controls overhaul
FlowPlan Project Variant

FlowPlan - ETP+

Process Design & Advisory for industrial effluent treatment plants.

Process: Stream segregation, equalisation, physico-chemical steps (coagulation, flocculation, DAF/clarifier), biological stage where needed, and tertiary polishing.

Sector: Industrial effluents from sectors such as food & beverage, textiles, metals, chemicals, pharma and mixed-use estates.

Pack includes: A defined treatment stage that balances compliance, production continuity and reuse/ZLD-prep, ready for vendors to price and configure.

Delivers: process scheme, equipment concept, compliance & reuse KPIs, and a commercial view that links plant risk with upgrade decisions.

Project choices you set

Balance compliance, production and reuse priorities from the start.

Compliance & risk band Robust
Meets minimum Robust High assurance
Reuse / ZLD ambition Reuse-led
Compliance only Partial reuse High reuse / ZLD-prep
Automation & monitoring Integrated
Basic Supervised Plant-integrated
FlowPlan Project Variant

FlowPlan - ETP+ Retrofit

Process Design & Advisory for industrial ETP retrofits and debottlenecking.

Process: Integration of new segregation, equalisation or polishing steps with existing units to resolve overload, variability and non-compliance.

Sector: Operational ETPs where product changes, expansions or stricter norms have stressed the original design.

Pack includes: Retrofit options, connection strategy and risk-focused performance outlook that vendors and EPCs can price and implement.

Delivers: retrofit configuration, integration notes, compliance risk view and a structured upgrade note for solution providers.

Project choices you set

Align retrofit scope with compliance risk and production continuity.

Existing asset reuse Selective
Minimal Select units Maximise reuse
Compliance risk reduction De-risk
Stabilise De-risk Ready for change
Production & integration Linked
Standalone Linked Fully integrated
FlowPlan Project Variant

FlowPlan - ZLD+

System Design & Advisory for brine and ZLD-focused integrations.

Process: Focused on post-RO or high-TDS brine, integrating evaporators, crystallisers or other thermal units with upstream treatment.

Sector: Industrial and infrastructure sites facing stringent discharge bans or high penalties for brine disposal.

Pack includes: Brine source mapping, ZLD route options, integration logic and evaluation of recovery versus complexity and energy cost.

Delivers: ZLD configuration options, heat & energy notes, solids handling view and a decision-ready comparison of routes.

Project choices you set

Set brine, heat and recovery priorities upfront for FlowPlan - ZLD+.

Brine source & complexity Mixed
RO reject only Mixed high-TDS High organics / metals
Recovery vs robustness Balanced
Lower capex Balanced High recovery
Heat & energy strategy Integrated
No dedicated heat Partial integration MVR-optimised
FlowPlan Project Variant

FlowPlan - Batch+

System Design & Advisory for batch chemical treatment stages.

Process: Batch coagulation/flocculation, pH correction and solids separation to target metals, colour, organics or high-TDS streams as needed.

Sector: Industrial or mixed streams where variability, campaigns or intermittent flows make batch treatment more practical.

Pack includes: Chemistry route, sizing logic, filtrate/brine handling options and integration notes with upstream/downstream systems.

Delivers: batch process scheme, chemical strategy, solids/filtrate paths and a vendor-ready concept for packaged or in-situ systems.

Project choices you set

Tune batch chemistry, operating mode and filtrate use upfront.

Treatment objective Metals / TDS
Colour Metals / TDS Organics / complex
Filtrate / brine destination Reuse-aware
Safe disposal Internal reuse ZLD / advanced
Operating mode Recipe-led
Operator-led Semi-auto Recipe / automated
FlowPlan Project Variant

FlowPlan - UFRO+

Advanced membrane reuse design pack built around ultrafiltration and RO hybrids.

Use when a site needs high-assurance treated water for cooling, process make-up, or polishing before ZLD - and wants a clear view of recovery, brine streams, and risks.

We help you set out influent quality ranges, select UF/RO stage configurations, and position RO Core, Micra and ZLD+Prep modules so that your suppliers can quote confidently.

Delivers: membrane stage concept, recovery & brine map, module selection notes, and diagnostic-driven inputs that your membrane vendors can plug directly into proposals.

Project choices you set

Powered by FlowPlan diagnostics on TDS, organics, fouling risk and reuse priority.

Reuse priority Cooling / process
Low-grade Utility Critical process
Feed complexity Mixed / variable
Stable Seasonal Highly variable
Target recovery > 75%
Conservative Balanced High recovery
FlowPlan Project Variant

FlowPlan - GWTP

Greywater Treatment Plant design pack for buildings, campuses and community clusters.

Use when you need a structured way to move from “we want flushing / landscape reuse” to a concrete GWTP scheme that vendors can price and deliver against.

We help you set out daily loads, peaking, equalisation, disinfection, and storage so that both building engineers and treatment vendors are aligned on what “good” looks like.

Delivers: GWTP concept, hydraulic & storage basis, quality targets, and a vendor-ready outline for civil, M&E and controls integration.

Project choices you set

Driven by building type, occupancy, reuse mix and footprint constraints.

Building profile Mixed-use
Residential Mixed Commercial heavy
Reuse mix Flushing + landscape
Landscape only Flushing heavy High-contact
Footprint & integration Tight / embedded
Relaxed Moderate Constrained
FlowPlan Project Variant

FlowPlan - VWRP

Vehicle Wash Recycling Plant design pack for commercial and fleet wash sites.

Use when you want to convert a fresh-water-hungry wash into a recycling-led layout with clear oil, grit and solids handling - and a reuse percentage you can track.

We map bays, soiling levels, interceptors, equalisation and polishing stages so that vendors can configure DAF, filters and dosing systems that align with your reuse goals.

Delivers: wash-water mass balance, treatment stage concept, reuse & discharge ranges, and vendor-facing notes on equipment duty and connections.

Project choices you set

Bay count, soiling profile, reuse target and operating range are all dialled in up front.

Bay utilisation High
Occasional Steady Heavy / fleet
Soiling & oil risk Elevated
Low Moderate High
Reuse target 70-80%
Modest Balanced High reuse
FlowPlan Project Variant

FlowPlan - Custom Pack

A tailored design & advisory pack when your site does not fit a single predefined variant.

Use when you have multiple water types, unusual constraints, or a mix of new build and retrofit needs - and want a single tailored pack that still lands as a clear note for vendors.

We assemble a custom pack from the same building blocks - diagnostics, concept design, specs, KPIs and commercial snapshots - but tuned to your sector, risk profile and decision process.

Delivers: a structured, vendor-ready scope that may blend STP, ETP, brine, sludge, heat or niche reuse elements into one navigable set of outputs.

Project choices you set

Start from your sector, water types, constraints and decision horizon - FlowPlan tunes around that.

Sector focus Blended
Single Adjacent Multi-sector
Constraint intensity High
Relaxed Moderate Tight
Decision horizon Board / lenders
Ops-only Owner-led Board & lenders

Positioning - how the Process Design Pack fits into delivery

The Process Design Pack comes between feasibility/options and detailed IFC design. We hold the process, performance and review intent; your nominated engineering partners / EPC turn this into IFC drawings and detailed construction design; your technology partners and solution providers supply and commission the equipment. The client stays in control of who does what.

Our role (Aqua Design)

We start from your FlowPlan variant and project data to configure the process route, limits, load cases, electromechanical scope and controls/automation concept. We assemble a design pack and structured equipment list that vendors can price and your partners can detail, and we stay alongside you as the owner’s advisor so design reviews, vendor proposals and commissioning all remain tied back to the agreed KPIs and review criteria.

Client’s engineering partners / EPC

Your engineering office, engineer of choice or EPC uses the design pack to develop IFC: detailed P&IDs, layouts, structural/MEP connections, I/O and cable schedules and construction sequencing. We do not replace them; we work alongside whoever you appoint so that the detailed design stays faithful to the agreed process intent.

Technology partners & solution providers

Equipment suppliers, technology partners and solution providers respond to the design pack with equipment selections, skids, panels and process guarantees. We help reconcile their proposals with the design basis, bill of electromechanical equipment and review plan. Adjustments to scope or configuration are agreed with you, and factory and site checks and on-site tests are executed by vendors and your EPC, with us available to support as project-side advisor.

How this fits with our design & delivery models

The Process Design Pack works within our broader design & delivery models. On every Process Design Pack engagement we stay in the system-planning and advisory role, while your engineering partners / EPC and technology partners take responsibility for stamped design, supply and construction. If you’d like to see how different engagement depths work in practice, you can explore our dedicated section: Our design & delivery business models .

Scope - what the pack includes

By the time you come to us for a Process Design Pack, feasibility and options have already been agreed. We treat those as fixed inputs and focus on configuring a vendor-ready process & system design pack, then staying with you through procurement, testing and early operation as owner’s advisor. The scope typically includes the building blocks below.

Confirmed design basis & limits

Feasibility outputs, options analysis and design ranges are treated as fixed inputs, not re-worked. We start from the agreed variant, limits, KPIs, hydraulics, utilities and site constraints, and use them as the starting basis for the pack.

Process route, hydraulics & load cases

End-to-end process route tying together headworks, biological/chemical stages, clarification, polishing and residuals handling. We define normal, peak and upset load cases and a clear hydraulic concept that your design partners can translate into detailed P&IDs and profiles.

Equipment integration & electromechanical scope

Core process units, packaged systems and proprietary equipment are positioned inside a defined treatment stage with clear duty points, standby logic, bypasses and connections. The outcome is a structured list of electromechanical equipment that vendors can price and your EPC can detail without guessing.

Controls, monitoring & automation concept

High-level control philosophy and monitoring intent: what is measured, how loops and interlocks behave, alarm and trip priorities, and how project basis will be logged for performance and compliance. Detailed I/O lists and panel design are then completed by your automation partners in line with this concept.

Review, testing & performance check pack

KPIs, test conditions, sampling and monitoring plan, and factory and site check points are built into the design from the start. Vendors and EPCs can see how commissioning and performance testing will be judged before equipment is ordered, reducing disputes and making guarantees concrete.

Implementation connections & owner’s-advisor support

Clear hand-off to your engineer of record, EPC and vendors: who details what, where reviews happen, and how design changes are agreed. If you wish, we stay on as owner’s advisor through RFQs, vendor alignment, design reviews, factory and site checks and early operation ranges to keep the design intent and KPIs intact.

Deliverables

The outcome is a complete Process Design Pack that can be priced, detailed and built by the teams you choose. These are the core outputs we typically land on your table.

Process design basis & sizing overview

A concise basis-of-design overview: selected route, operating range, key assumptions, and the sizing logic behind each major unit.

Design calculations + equipment schedule

Sizing sheets (tanks, hydraulics, aeration, pumps/blowers, chemical dosing, solids handling, etc.) plus an equipment schedule and datasheet basis that your EPC can carry into procurement.

PFDs, hydraulic profile & layout integration note

Process flow diagrams, indicative hydraulic profile, and a block layout / zoning note to make connections, levels, and footprint implications explicit for civil/MEP detailing.

Control overview & instrumentation outline

Control states/sequences, key loops and interlocks, setpoint ranges, alarms, and a planning-level instrumentation / I/O outline aligned to performance checks.

IFC alignment & design assurance notes (optional)

Review notes and approvals on IFC packages prepared by your EPC/detailed engineer to protect the design basis, connections, and review intent through delivery.

Procurement alignment & review records pack

Clarifications and decision notes on vendor offers (as needed), together with factory and site checks intent, commissioning checks, and performance record checkpoints that make outcomes verifiable.

Delivery models

Our involvement can stay focused or continue through procurement, implementation and early operation. Some clients want us to land the Process Design Pack and stay available in the background; others ask us to remain engaged all the way through procurement, implementation and early operation. In all cases, detailed engineering, supply, factory and site checks and construction are carried out by your chosen partners and vendors.

Design & advisory pack

We scope and deliver the full FlowPlan design & advisory pack for the chosen variant (STP+, ETP+, retrofit, UFRO+, GWTP, VWRP). You receive the process design overview, limits, PFDs, electromechanical equipment list, controls/monitoring concept and review plan, ready for your design partners and vendors to act on. We typically support clarification of the pack through RFQs/specs and early vendor questions as needed.

Extended project-side advisory

Where you prefer, we stay engaged beyond the design pack as your owner-side advisor: supporting RFQs and evaluations, design reviews with your design partners and EPC, vendor alignment, factory and site checks, and early-operation ranges. Vendors and implementers adjust details, skids and panels based on the agreed design; we help make sure those adjustments are deliberate, documented and consistent with the intent and review criteria.

QA & Review

Information plan

Sampling, KPIs, trending, and approval criteria from feasibility through commissioning.

Change control

Any vendor/partner deviation assessed against limits; tracked to review impacts.

Handover set

O&M guidance pack (ops states, upset recovery), troubleshooting trees, and project basis trail.

How we engage

A delivery flow that keeps process intent, sizing, and review record connected - from basis-of-design through detailed engineering and commissioning.

Prefer to start earlier? We can begin with a feasibility or route-confirmation sprint and then move into dimensioning once the route is confirmed.

1) Kick-off + inputs
  • Confirm operating range & constraints
  • Agree assumptions & gaps to verify
  • Agree remaining design choices & review basis
2) Dimensioning pack
  • Load cases, mass balance & sizing sheets
  • Equipment schedule & datasheet basis
  • PFDs + hydraulic profile + controls outline
3) Handover + assurance
  • Connection register & connection clarity
  • IFC alignment reviews (as needed)
  • Factory and site checks & commissioning record checkpoints