Desalination plant after a power cut: inspection and restart in the Canary Islands
When power returns, a reverse osmosis installation may still need checks before it can resume normal service. For the manager of a hotel, industrial facility or agricultural operation, it is useful to distinguish between the availability of electrical power, the condition of the equipment and the water actually available for use.
Lanzarote: production restored and water supply gradually resuming
The Water Consortium notice of 3 October explains that the plants had resumed production and water was beginning to reach the main storage tanks. It also highlighted the need to restore tank levels and gradually restart pumping and distribution networks. This is an update following the initial shutdown notice, rather than confirmation that all areas already had a normal water supply.
For an installation with its own water treatment system, this distinction calls for a review of the whole process: water source, storage, treatment plant, post-treatment and point of use. The public supply incident does not establish that a private desalination plant has suffered damage, nor does it identify any component that should be replaced.
Inspecting a desalination plant after a power cut
Follow the plant manufacturer’s manual and operating procedures. The owner can gather information and retain alerts; electrical work and restart operations are the responsibility of the qualified personnel in charge.
Identify how the equipment stopped
Record the approximate shutdown time, how long the outage lasted and which messages now appear on the control system. Check with the person in charge whether the planned shutdown and flushing sequence was completed. A sudden loss of power can leave the system in a different condition from a planned shutdown.
The DuPont technical documentation on reverse osmosis system shutdown covers membrane protection during unplanned shutdowns, including permeate backpressure and air ingress. Before applying it, check the design, membranes and manual for the specific system; operating limits for another unit must not be adopted automatically.
Check the relationship between feedwater, storage tanks and pretreatment
Before authorising a restart, the technical team must confirm that the feedwater conditions required by the plant are available. Report storage tank levels, inlet flow rate, changes at the water intake and the known condition of filtration. If the water supply was also interrupted, do not assume that normal hydraulic conditions have returned simply because power is back.
Ask for the inspection to cover coordination between pumping, chemical dosing, instrumentation and controls. For a modular plant, clarify which systems are integrated into the unit and which depend on the surrounding installation.
Validate production before resuming the intended use
The restart must document the checks required by the system and the water acceptance criteria for its intended use. In a hotel, restoring flow alone is insufficient; post-treatment and the water supply monitoring plan must also be considered. For agriculture or industry, check the quality required by the crop or process.
If performance changes, retain the available records for comparison with a valid baseline. Do not attribute reduced production or a change in conductivity to the membranes without diagnosing the complete system. Our guide to rising RO permeate conductivity explores this specific issue in more detail.
What information to provide when requesting technical assistance
A precise request helps determine whether process inspection, electrical work, spare parts or a coordinated restart is needed. Avoid purchasing components solely on the basis of an alarm or a photograph of the equipment.
| Data | What it helps establish |
|---|---|
| Island, municipality and intended water use | Locate the installation and understand which service needs to be restored. |
| Manufacturer, model and manual | Identify the procedure and documentation applicable to the equipment. |
| Shutdown time and recorded alarms | Reconstruct the incident without substituting assumptions for a diagnosis. |
| Water intake, storage tanks and available feedwater | Relate the equipment to the rest of the hydraulic system. |
| Flow rate and water quality before and after the incident | Compare actual measurements with normal operating conditions. |
| Required work and timescales | Define the scope of inspection, supply, installation, restart or maintenance. |
Prepare for future shutdowns with a planned approach
After service has been restored, review the shutdown and start-up procedures, record keeping and compatible spare parts list with the people in charge. If a shutdown is prolonged, membrane maintenance and preservation must be assessed with the manufacturer according to the downtime and actual conditions; no single chemical treatment is suitable for every plant.
When considering backup power, storage or automation, first define which service is critical and which electrical loads and operating sequences it requires. Backup power duration, water reserves and treatment capacity serve different purposes. An investment must be justified by its technical scope and operating costs, without promising unlimited service continuity.
Coordinate maintenance and restart in the Canary Islands
HidroSoluciones Canarias offers maintenance and spare parts supply for desalination plants and solutions for seawater and brackish water desalination. A facility manager or engineering company can enquire about the scope of technical support for an inspection and subsequent restart.
For Lanzarote, Tenerife, Gran Canaria or another island, the proposal must specify the location, equipment, current condition and requirements. If a company from mainland Spain carries out work in the Canary Islands, agree on the responsibilities for supply, installation, control and validation. Availability and timescales will be confirmed for each enquiry.
Do you need to inspect a desalination plant after a shutdown?
Provide the island and municipality, model, intended water use, flow rate, alarms, downtime and available water quality data. Explain whether you need a diagnosis, spare parts, maintenance or support for the restart.
Enquire about inspection and technical assistanceSources and verification date
- Water Consortium: production restored and water supply gradually resuming, 3 October 2026.
- DuPont: technical documentation on reverse osmosis system shutdown, February 2026 revision.
Information checked on 4 October 2026. The report refers to the notice published by the operator the previous day. This guide does not replace the manufacturer’s procedure or a diagnosis of the installation.