# 3.9.3 Design of equipment Summary of actions * Validate the selection and design of new equipment and infrastructure to ensure continuing reliability. Research and development should be undertaken to validate the selection and design of new equipment and infrastructure, or to confirm design changes necessary to improve plant performance and control systems. New technologies require pilot-scale research and evaluation before full-scale implementation. Design specifications should be established to ensure that new equipment will be able to meet the intended requirements and provide necessary process flexibility and controllability (see Section 3.4.4). Other considerations for ensuring the reliability of water treatment systems include designing equipment and facilities to withstand natural disasters (e.g. earthquakes and flooding) and providing backup systems for emergency use (e.g. alternative power generation). Consideration of these factors during the design phase will reduce the risk that equipment failures will cause major disruptions in service. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://guidelines.nhmrc.gov.au/australian-drinking-water-guidelines/part-1/chapter-3/3.9-research-and-development-element-9/3.9.3-design-of-equipment.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.