Our newest water system is the Rapids.  This water system is an analytical, ASTM type I water purification system. Through deionization, the Rapids will produce up to 2 liters per minute of ultrapure water that has a resistivity up to 18.2 meg-ohm and TOCs of 5 ppb or less.

The Rapids is wall-mounted and can be hooked to tap or pretreated source.  There are six cartridge kits available and like anything else, we can help you choose the best kit for their laboratory needs.

Like our other systems, the Rapids is extremely simple to install, use, and maintain with in-house personnel.  The graphical touchscreen features prompt, animations, embedded QR codes for additional videos, and troubleshooting.   Plus there is an extensive video library to help your team.

• Economical
• 2L/ min of ASTM type I water
• Resistivity up to 18 meg Ω/cm
• TOC as low as 5ppb or less*
• Connect to tap or pretreat
• Graphical touchscreen
  • Real-time resistivity reading
  • Prompts, animations, alerts
  • Video library on YouTube
• Purchasing options
  • Analytical system, wall mount (D003312)
  • Life science version coming soon!

The Rapids produces type I water, some also call this ultrapure water and its used for critical lab functions. Now, there are different categories of type I water – analytical vs life science.  The Rapids that is currently on the market is for analytical purposes.  Some of the applications that this unit can be used for are:

• Ion Chromatography (IC)
• Mass Spectrometry
• Atomic Absorption
• Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectroscopy (ICP)
• Solid Phase Extraction
• Electrochemistry
• Glassware Washing
• Sample dilution & reagent prep
• Water analysis

Not every lab will need type I water, but some of the industries that do need it are again colleges and universities, research labs, food and beverage, concrete plants, and oil refineries. Again, there are more but this is just an example. Any place that does analytical testing may need this unit.

Compared to another type I analytical systems on the market, the Rapids is extremely economical and far exceeds in features and benefits. Current pricing is shown above and you can order directly on this page. Cartridge kits are matched to your feed water and application, and we are happy to help you choose the right one.

What 18.2 MΩ·cm Type I Water Means

Resistivity measures how hard it is for electricity to pass through water. Dissolved ions carry current, so the fewer ions left, the higher the reading. 18.2 megohm-cm (MΩ·cm) at 25 °C is the highest reading water can reach. At that point almost every ion has been removed, and the same water reads about 0.055 µS/cm as conductivity.

ASTM D1193 sets Type I (reagent grade) water at more than 18 MΩ·cm and less than 50 ppb total organic carbon (TOC). Type II is held to more than 1 MΩ·cm. That gap is why trace-metal and mass-spec methods call for Type I: a few stray ions or organics show up as background in your results.

The Rapids produces up to 18.2 MΩ·cm water at up to 2 L/min, with TOC of 5 ppb or less, and shows resistivity live on its touchscreen so you can check every draw. It is wall-mounted (model D003312, 26.5 x 22 x 11.5 in, 120 V).

Rapids cartridge kits by feed water

The kit depends on what water you feed the Rapids and how low you need organics. Choose a low organic kit (it adds an organic removal cartridge) for TOC-sensitive work such as HPLC or GC-MS, and a Type I kit for ion-focused methods such as IC and ICP.

Kit part numbers are from LabStrong's Rapids spec sheet. Tell us your feed water and applications and we will confirm the right kit with your order.

Compare LabStrong Lab Water Systems

All six LabStrong systems in our store side by side, so you can check you are on the right one before you order. Specs are from LabStrong product literature.

Which one fits your lab?

• Trace analysis (IC, ICP, ICP-MS, AA, mass spec): you need Type I water at the instrument. That is the Rapids.
• Buffers, media, glassware rinsing, feed to autoclaves and washers: Type II is enough. The Cascade is the lowest-cost option and needs no power at the wall.
• Bacteria and pyrogen removal with no cartridges to replace: a Fi-Streem still.
• Both grades: a Cascade or Fi-Streem can feed a Rapids. LabStrong makes Rapids cartridge kits for RO/distilled feed (D003310KT and D003311KT) for that setup.

Not sure? Send us your feed water source, the volume you use per day and the instruments you run, and we will match the system and cartridge kit.