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What is a UV Water Disinfection System?
UV water disinfection is a cutting-edge technology that offers a safe, effective, and sustainable solution for water treatment. By utilizing the germicidal properties of UV light, UV systems eliminate harmful microorganisms from water without the need for chemicals. Whether you're looking to improve the safety of your residential water supply or ensure the quality of water in a commercial setting, UV water disinfection is a reliable option.
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
Water Disinfection vs Filtration - What is the Difference?
There are many technologies available to filter your drinking water at home. Some of the more popular methods include cartridge filters both for whole-house and those that mount on-the-faucet, water softeners, reverse osmosis (RO) systems and ultraviolet (UV) systems. This article offers a brief discussion of the differences between the technologies with the intention of helping you select the appropriate equipment for your water purification at home. Physical filtration of water is a relatively simple concept. Consider a coffee maker that uses a plastic basket and a paper filter. The paper filter simply physically prevents the coffee grounds from passing into the coffee pot - this is the principal behind all physical filtration methods. A sediment filter is a good example of physical water filtration. These filters are available in different configurations such as cartridge style or auto-back-washing style, but they all work by physically removing or skimming contaminants in the water and holding these in the filter material (just like the coffee filter does). Rust, dirt and dust are some of the most common contaminants that sediment filters remove from water. Carbon filters are a bit of a different story. Although they can and do remove particle contaminants (like a sediment filter) these filters are designed to help remove contaminants that are hard to remove just by skimming. The carbon material in these filters is capable of absorbing contaminants from the water itself rather than just skimming materials that happen to be floating in the water stream. Carbon media is available in various configurations for various specialty jobs but most commonly is used to remove foul taste and odour from the water along with some types of chemical contaminants such as chlorine and some heavy metals such as lead. Both sediment and carbon filters are available in various styles. Physical filtration of drinking water including both sediment filters and carbon filters where appropriate, is the simplest method of increasing the quality of your water supply at home. However it must be noted that physical filtration does have it's limits and these filters typically cannot remove other contaminants and pathogens that may affect your water source. A water softener is a specialty piece of equipment that will "soften" your water by removing the calcium which makes water "hard". Soft and hard water have both advantages and disadvantages. On the positive side "soft" water feels good on your skin while showering. It can make your skin feel silky and will allow detergents to do a better job of cleaning. On the other hand, many folks do not wish to drink "soft" water because in the process of softening, the water, calcium ions are replaced by sodium ions and many people do not wish to add to their sodium consumption for health reasons. A water softener can also perform some filtration functions such as removing small amounts of iron from the water. A reverse osmosis water treatment system is a specialized piece of equipment that uses different technology and is not technically a filter. The RO process involves applying pressure to move water through a membrane to remove dissolved contaminants. The most common use of RO is for the desalination of sea water. Household RO systems usually combine physical filtration along with RO and other technologies in order to create a complete water treatment system. The RO process though highly optimized to create pure water, is also highly wasteful. Many household RO systems recover only a small fraction of the water entering the system and the rest goes down the drain. The typical RO system used in the home will not only remove contaminants from the water, it can also strip many of the minerals in water that may be required for optimum health. Often the taste of RO water is termed "flat" as most of the mineral content that gives water it's "taste" have been removed. RO systems can efficiently trap pathogens such as E.coli and coliform, however trapped bacteria often tends to build up on the membrane and this may cause contamination problems should the RO system malfunction. An ultraviolet (UV) light water treatment system is typically designed to accomplish two functions. First the UV system will usually be configured with a physical filtration system normally fitted with both a sediment filter and a carbon filter. The idea is to pretreat the water to clarify it for further treatment in the UV lamp chamber. Once inside the UV chamber, water is subjected to intense UV light that is designed to kill any potential pathogens in the water including E.coli and dozens more. This pathogen kill is virtually instantaneous and does not require a holding tank or other methods to store the water for future use. In fact, UV systems are designed to work in "real time" meaning that the water is treated to kill pathogens as it flows through the UV chamber and to your faucet. A UV sterilizer will not remove dissolved contaminants in water (such as salt) and it will not waste any water either (100% of the water going through the UV chamber is delivered to your faucets). The function of a well designed UV system is to physically filter the water to a degree that is aesthetically pleasing, and to a degree that will allow plenty of UV light to penetrate the water stream. The cleaner the water entering the UV light chamber, the better the disinfection process will be. In summary, it's relatively easy to determine what type of water filtration system will best suit your needs. Physical filtration will improve the aesthetic appeal of the water including clarity and taste/odour issues. A water softener will remove calcium and the "hard water" scale that may be accumulating in your plumbing system. RO systems will remove dissolved contaminants such as salt from seawater but are highly wasteful of water and may not be the best choice for "typical" residential water treatment. A UV sterilizer will typically combine physical filtration with protection from pathogenic contaminants using natural UV light. This type of system (possibly combined with a softener) is generally seen as the most cost efficient for most households using surface water, municipal water or well water as the source of drinking water in the home.
Proper Sizing is Critical for any UV Disinfection System
The most common question we get is how to properly size a UV system for the intended use. As a quick review, consumers need UV in the home to ensure that all the water in the home is clean and safe from disease causing pathogens such as E.coli, Influenza, Cryptosporidium and many other bacterial and viral contaminants. To select the proper size of UV you have several options and considerations: Base your system on the pipe size in your home. If you have 3/4 inch pipes entering the home, your choice may be for a 3/4 inch UV system. Next, consider the volume of water used. You may choose to size the UV based on the capacity of your water pump. Next, consider the number of people in the home as UV systems are manufacturerd based on specific flow rates. If you have only 1 or 2 people in the home a 4-5 GPM system will suffice. If you have up to 5 or 6 people use an 8 or 12 GPM or larger system. You may want to adjust this based on the number of teenagers in the home (they tend to use more water). Finally, consider the quality of your source water. Cloudy water or water with high iron, and high calcium content will present a problem for UV disinfection and requires pre-treatment. Taking all factors into consideration will provide you with the information you need to properly size a UV. Remember to have your water tested for iron content, hardness and clarity (most UV sellers can do this for you) in order to make sure that your new UV system will provide the measure of safety you need to protect your customer's home water supply. UV light is the best chemical-free method of disinfecting your water supply. It's safe, effective and inexpensive. Wyckomar will test your water sample for UV transmittance absolutely free. We are also pleased to help you with any questions regarding proper UV system size for your application. Contact us for details.
How Can I Improve My Water?
Improving the quality of your drinking water can be as simple as installing one or more water filtration systems, or it can be a more involved process requiring a significant investment... and it all depends on the initial water quality you begin with. Lets back up a minute. An initial water quaity test will give you a baseline water quality from which you can make some decisions about how to treat your water (and indeed whether to treat it at all). A basic water quality test that will provide data for a limited number of potential contaminants is available from a variety of public and private labs depending on where you live. Common tests will help determine levels of bacteria (E.coli and coliform), plus things like iron, hardness, calcium, turbidity etc. In most cases the lab report will provide information on what levels are acceptable and what are not. It's the levels that are unacceptable that must be dealt with first. There are a number of filtration systems available to help clear up the water and to remove contaminants such as sediments, excess iron and hardness etc. Most people prefer an automatic filter system that not only processes all of the water in the home but also cleans itself on a regular basis (auto backwashing) in order to make sure the filter is working at it's peak performance level. Look for a combination type filter that can remove several contaminants at once – this will result is a smaller system overall and is usually less expensive to install. Now that the physical appearance of the water has been taken care of with filtration, it's time to address the biological contaminants that may be present in the water like E.coli and coliform. Disease-causing pathogens in water are not uncommon in many places in the world. There are several ways to disinfect (kill the pathogens) including adding chlorine (or other chemicals) to the water, and employing UV light to do the job. Over the years it is becoming increasingly obvious that people would prefer to use a non-chemical method of disinfecting their water supply and UV checks all the right boxes: It's inexpensive to own It's simple to use – and operates automatically It's chemical-free It's much better for the environment It's safer to use – there is no risk of overdose So the simple answer to the question how can I improve my water? is to contact Wyckomar and let us walk you through the process of improving your water right now.
The Solar-Tote
Maybe More Useful Than You Can Possibly Imagine... Wyckomar announces the launch of the Solar-Tote, a complete and portable solar-powered machine that can also be your emergency preparedness system for off-grid living. Our original purpose in developing the Solar-Tote was to provide users with a handy, portable system that uses solar energy to produce clean, bacteria-free drinking water. As the product development process went on we realized that we were really creating not only a limited-use product for water purification from local water sources such as lakes, streams and ponds, but a complete system for backup power if and when you need it. Lets' start with the water purification part of the Solar-Tote. This system uses solar energy to power an on-board water pump and an on-board UV disinfection and filtration system. The Wyckomar SYS-250 UV disinfection system is the heart of the Solar-Tote because the UV-250 is perfectly suited both in terms of size and capacity to process (in real time) as much as 2.5 gallons per minute (or 10 litres per minute) which will fill all of your clean water needs in a very short time. As part of the Solar-Tote, the SYS-250 unit offers two levels of deep filtration removing sediments and dirt from the source water that you wish to purify. The second filter will remove foul taste and odour along with chemical contaminants such as pesticides and solvents. Finally, the water receives a high intensity dose of UV light which kills all pathogens in the water such as E. coli, Coliform, Legionella pneumophila, Cryptosporidium, Hepatitis, Giardia lamblia (beaver fever), and dozens more (see UV Inactivation Chart). UV light is a proven technology to purify drinking water against a wide range of bacterial, viral and cyst contaminants and UV does not involve the use of any chemicals such as chlorine. The full versatility of the Solar-Tote can only be realized when you consider the other applications this system may be used for. Besides the function of pumping and purifying drinking water, the Solar-Tote is essentially a power station for your personal use. The on-board 12V battery is charged-up by the pair of solar panels included with the Tote. The battery then supplies the electrical power needed to run the water treatment equipment in the Tote and it can also be used to power a lot of other useful things such as cell phones, work-lights and radios. There is an active online market where one can purchase a wide range of 12V appliances such as coffee makers and the like. By using an optional inverter, the Solar-Tote may also be used to power 110V or 220V appliances such as TV's and computers. Perhaps now you can understand just how useful it will be to have a Solar-Tote on hand at your home and at your business. The Tote may be stored away for emergency use or you can use it everyday to provide power for off-grid recreation including cottaging and camping. The Solar-Tote will be of particular value to relief agencies and NGO's operating in parts of the world without reliable electrical power and without clean sources of drinking water. The Tote is constructed using a high-quality protective contractor-grade case and it can easily be moved and setup within minutes. There is no special training needed to operate the Tote - just connect the solar panels and it's ready to go. There is a short video on youtube that shows the system in operation outdoors. The brochure for the Solar-Tote is here
How To Select the Right Water Filter for Your Home
Water filtration is a hot topic these days due to the vast amounts of contaminants in our everyday environment. There is a wide variety of water filtration systems you can choose from but choosing the proper technology is key to having clean and safe drinking water at home. A standard water filter is designed to trap contaminants. Things such as dirt, rust and dust are simple to remove from your water by using a standard sediment type water filter. These can be purchased as a filter to use on a single faucet in your home, or they can be bought to be installed on the water line to filter all of the water in the home. Carbon filters are popular due to the fact that they can remove foul taste and odour from the water along with a variety of chemical contaminants that may have infiltrated your water supply. Both sediment style and carbon filters can be purchased in cartridge format which requires occasional change-out with a new filter, or as an automatic backwashable filter to service the whole house on a continuous basis. Filtration systems can only go so far however, and are ineffective against bacterial and viral contamination. Common pathogens that can infect your water supply include E. coli, Coliform, Cryptosporidium and many others. The best way to deal with these pathogens is to kill them so they do not become a threat to your health. The part of a filtration system used to deal with these nasty contaminants is the disinfection module. As part of a home filtration system, the disinfection module is typically either chemical based (most often chlorine) or non-chemical based like UV or ultraviolet light. A chlorine system adds chemical chlorine to the water supply to kill pathogens after some period of contact time. The UV system kills all pathogens instantaneously and uses no chemicals whatsoever. The advantages of a chemical free UV disinfection module over a chemical based one are rather obvious. First, with a UV system there is no need to buy, store and handle any dangerous chemicals. Second, a UV system produces no disinfection by-products, that is the remnants of the chemical reaction that kills the pathogens. These chemical by-products can be dangerous themselves and most people prefer to avoid them if possible. Third, the impact of continually dumping chemically treated, chlorinated water into our environment is unacceptable to many. In order to get high quality water from your water source, be sure to select the proper technology for your specific problem. A proper filtration and disinfection system can also act as a type of insurance against future health problems related to contaminated drinking water.
Should I Use a Faucet Mounted Water Filter or a Whole House System?
The use of whole house water filters is fast becoming extremely popular with homeowners. A whole house water filter will treat every single drop of water entering your home and is the most cost effective method to give you peace of mind about the qualit your home water supply. The whole house water filter can be configured in a wide variety of styles and price levels depending on what contaminants are in your water, your rate of water use and your budget. One of the most popular configurations of a whole house water filter uses a dual filtration system to remove suspended solids (dirt, rust, dust etc) which will help to clarify the water. The second filter is a carbon filter which will remove foul tastes and odours from the water. The final portion of a quality whole house water filter is an ultraviolet (UV) light which is used to kill all bacterial and viral pathogens that may be (or may potentially get) in your water supply. The beauty of a whole house water filter like this is that it's an economical way to clean all the water in your home using simple, widely available, proven technology. This is the same type of water filtration that most water bottling plants use specifically because it works and is simple to maintain. Homeowners can select the proper sized whole house water filter for their specific use. Manufacturers typically will make several sizes available so there will be a simple whole house water filter available for any sized household. Consider amount of water used, number of people in the home and water quality (the specific water contaminants that you may be concerned about) when choosing a whole house water filter for your home. Be sure to work with a manufacturer that has extensive experience in manufacturing and delivering a whole house water filter that works for you. There are a wide variety of whole house water filters on the market. Decide first on your concerns, water use patterns and budget, then work with a qualified manufacturer or delaer to get the whole house water filter that will meet all of your needs and provide safe, clean water for years to come.
Do I Need to Treat My Water?
The truth is many of us don't spend much time thinking about the quality of our drinking water. Often we are lulled into a false sense of security that our water quality is top-notch, while in reality there may be alarming amounts of contaminants in our residential water supply. For home owners with a well, the issue of water quality is more prevalent than those supplied by municipal water. Well owners are generally more aware of the need for some vigilance in monitoring water quality, especially those located near potential sources of run-off including agricultural run-off. Well owners should be testing their water on a regular basis (at least 4 times a year) and they must take special care to have the water tested for micro-biological contamination (bacterial and viral pathogens) regularly too. Micro-biological contamination, most commonly bacterial pathogens such as E.coli and Coliform can be a major cause for concern as these pathogens can do great harm to your health. The presence of either of these pathogens simply must not be tolerated and you must take action to ensure your water is free of contamination by killing these organisms before they get a chance to infect your family. Traditional disinfection has been done by adding chlorine (usually chlorine bleach) to the well and waiting for a period of time while the bacteria is killed in the well. This process is cumbersome and in addition must be done on a regular basis as new pathogens are introduced into the well water. The other draw back of this method is that chemical disinfection can create byproducts which in themselves can be harmful to your health. Those supplied with municipal water should not think that they are necessarily immune from water quality problems. A quick search of stories related to boil water orders alone issued by municipalities will convince you that the ultimate responsibility to ensure your own water quality rests in the end with you. The chemical-free way to ensure that your water is completely safe is to use Ultra Violet light (UV) to kill all bacterial and viral pathogens in real time (as you use the water) and around the clock. UV is a time-tested technology, completely safe, absolutely effective and environmentally sound. There is no better way to ensure safe drinking water, and no more cost effective method per unit volume. UV systems are available in a wide range of sizes to suite the smallest residence to the largest. Maintenance is minimal (change a lamp once a year) and the system is ready to work for you all year, without the hassle of buying, storing and using harsh chemical treatments. UV is the environmentally superior option as no byproducts are produced and there is never any risk of chemical overdosing in water treatment. UV is the future of safe, sustainable water purification and this is proven by the number of municipalities now installing UV as a primary disinfection technology to serve their customers.
UV Water Treatment to Kill Legionalla
Legionella bacteria is a disease-causing pathogen that is responsible for the vast majority of cases known as "Legionnaire's Disease". This was until the mid 1970's a mystery illness and at that time was given it's name after attendees at a convention of the American Legion became ill with the disease and several died. The Legionalla bacteria is traditionally associated with things like cooling towers, swimming pools, hot springs and even dental equipment. Infection in a person happens when the bacteria is inhaled (typically from tiny droplets of water or condensation) and this can lead to full-blown illness in some people. The use of Ultra Violet (UV) light to kill Legionella is well documented, and the bacteria is relatively easy to kill with an adequate UV dose applied to the water in such systems. UV works to destroy the bacteria almost instantly while the water is exposed to germicidal wavelengths of UV light inside a sealed UV chamber. The process is completely chemical-free and there is never a risk of UV overdose. UV disinfection may be applied to a wide variety of commercial and residential applications to ensure Legionella destruction. The HVAC industry in particular is showing renewed interest in UV disinfection systems for cooling tower applications and the same UV technology may be applied in smaller scale applications as mentioned. UV uses no chemicals but provides primary disinfection to one-pass type systems, and continues to provide repeated disinfection when used with recirculating type systems. The amount of UV energy that needs to be applied to destroy Legionella in water is relatively small. All Wyckomar UV Disinfection Systems will provide a UV dose much larger than the minimum dose required (usually by several orders of magnitude) so that you may be certain that all disease-causing pathogens will be destroyed. Wyckomar is a Canadian company manufacturing UV water treatment systems since 1978. Contact us for more information on UV Disinfection for HVAC applications and for applications involving drinking water which is our primary focus.
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.
