Our Blog
Our Blog
Water Treatment at the Cottage
Many of us like to get away to the cottage as much as possible. The soothing sounds of nature offer a wonderful respite from our daily stress and our regular routine. Owning a cottage (or camp) is becoming more popular every day, and the prices of lakefront cottage properties seem to confirm that. In the rush-to-relax at the cottage, often little or no thought goes into the quality of the drinking water supplied to the building. Many often assume that because they are away from the big city, that the lake water must be of pristine quality, and that can be a very dangerous assumption. Surface water of any type, lakes, rivers or streams, can often carry a very high potential for pathogenic contamination, mostly from leaky septic systems and animal waste among other sources. Lake water can easily become contaminated with the E.coli bacteria (plus Giardia and Cryptosporidium among others) and when this happens, you don't want to be consuming or showering in that water. When you take time to think about it, UV is the natural choice for disinfecting the drinking water at your cottage regardless of the source. A quality UV system mimics mother nature by using nothing more than UV light to kill and inactivate a host of contaminants that may be lurking in your water supply... and UV light will give you 100% protection too. When you compare the costs of installing a UV system at your cottage against the cost of a chemical disinfectant (like chlorine), or the cost of using bottled water (which you can't bathe in), you'll be pleased to discover that you can protect all the water in your cottage at a fraction of the cost of bottled water and without any of the dangers of chemical water treatment. Installation is simple and your UV system will be up and running in no time. So get out there and enjoy the natural surroundings at the lake. Perhaps you should inspect your water system at the cottage on your next visit, and check on the quality of your source water at the same time (many public health labs provide this service free of charge). Selecting the proper size of UV system is easy and our staff is always ready to assist with recommendations and suggestions so that you can be sure that every drop of water used at your cottage is completely pathogen-free and safe to use. Here are our most popular systems for cottages and RVs, the UV-250 and the UV-700. SYS250 System 4 GPM / 15 LPM The SYS250 System is perfect for cottages with up to 3 people. Details SYS700 System 8 GPM / 30 LPM The SYS700 System will suit any cottage with up to 6 people. Details These systems provide micro-filtration down to 5 micron and also carbon filtration for taste and odour. Installation is easy, but for those who who want it extra easy, we manufacture them also pre-assembled and panel mounted POU250 System 5 GPM / 15 LPM The POU250 System provides a dual filter set and powerful UV disinfection in a compact format. Details POU700 System 8 GPM / 30 LPM The POU700 System is the panel mounted version of our most popular UV system of all time Details
Filtering and Disinfecting Water in a Rainwater Harvesting System
Many people have taken up the task of collecting rainwater either as an adjunct to a traditional water supply or as a necessity for providing adequate drinking water in rural and remote areas.Even urban consumers are actively harvesting rainwater from rooftops in order to help reduce the cost of municipally supplied drinking water to the home. The challenge of course is to make sure that the harvested rainwater is safe to consume.Let's take a look at the potential for contamination in a typical rainwater harvesting system. Although often overlooked, it's a fact that rainwater can pick up contaminants from the atmosphere as it is falling, including dust and dirt (especially on a windy day). Next the water hits the rooftop and is drained into a gutter. Take a moment to think of what else hits the rooftop as a flock of birds fly over your home and you will immediately identify the need for purification and disinfection of the collected water.Collected rainwater is often held in storage containers or tanks, sometimes open to the environment, often sealed. Another overlooked conduit for contamination is the tank itself as it can easily become a home for many pathogenic contaminants especially in the summertime when the water is very warm. Bacteria and virus collected by the water on it's way to the holding tank can proliferate in the tank and will eventually flood the tank with pathogens.The key to a successful rainwater harvesting system is to make sure the water is filtered properly and disinfected immediately prior to use. Often the rainwater will sit in the collection tank for days before it is consumed, and it's absolutely critical that it be processed to kill any and all pathogens that are present and to remove unpleasant odors, as the water flows to the faucet.Of course the most convenient way to ensure safe and clean rainwater is to process the water with a Wyckomar UV system, complete with dual levels of filtration. Using our Model SYS-250POU or our Model SYS-700POU will ensure that you have safe water coming from the collection tank. These systems include a fine sediment filter to remove grit and dirt picked up from the rooftop (in fact we recommend a very fine 1 micron filter when using a UV system for rainwater harvesting to add additional protection). The second filter is made of carbon to remove taste and odor from the water and the UV lamp will provide strong (chemical-free) disinfection to kill all bacteria and virus that may be lingering.The result is clean, clear and safe drinking water from your rainwater harvesting system and the peace-of-mind that comes with knowing you are helping to reduce water consumption and make the environment better.
