Hyatt Regency Saipan

The Hyatt Regency Saipan, a 5-star, 317-room resort catering primarily to guests from Japan, Korea, and China, faced water supply challenges as demand reached the capacity of its two 80,000 GPD seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) units installed in 1996. The existing units were outdated, could not be expanded, and required costly water imports if taken offline for maintenance. Complicating the situation, the desalination equipment room was located on the third floor with limited access, and the resort’s land lease was set to expire in under five years, making significant capital upgrades a sensitive decision.

To address these challenges, Gemini Water, in partnership with Pacific Century Inc (PCI), designed and delivered a third SWRO unit on a fast-track schedule. The new unit was initially rated for 40,000 GPD, with the ability to expand to 60,000 GPD if the land lease was extended. Utilizing modular frames and subsystems, the equipment could be transported through the existing personnel door and installed within the tight confines of the utility building. The system incorporated a high-efficiency axial piston pump with future potential for an isobaric energy recovery unit to optimize energy use.

With a 12-week schedule to meet peak holiday demand, Gemini prefabricated critical subsystems for on-site assembly while shipping major components via Los Angeles. After preclearance and staging by PCI, the team installed and commissioned the plant in just one week. Staff training was provided on reverse osmosis theory and system operation, ensuring the resort could reliably meet its water needs while improving operational efficiency and sustainability.