Water Treatment - Ultraviolet

With its proven effectiveness (99.99%!!!) against bacteria, viruses, and water-borne diseases, it's no wonder that UV disinfection is becoming the leading technology for treating harmful microorganisms.

Benefits of UV

There are some very important reasons why homeowners and large cities are choosing UV technology.

Highly effective: For over 25 years UV light has been trusted as a safe, cost-effective way to purify water and eliminate harmful micro-organisms. It’s a proven EPA-endorsed technology that has been chosen by thousands of cities, bottled water manufacturers and others around the world.

Chemical free: UV provides water purification without the addition of harmful chemicals like chlorine. It also avoids the potential of generating harmful chemical disinfection by-products. Recent EPA guidelines are forcing cities across the US to reduce or eliminate the use of chlorine for exactly these reasons.

Taste & odour free: UV does not change the taste, odour or colour of water.

More effective than chlorine: Unlike chlorine, UV is effective against both Cryptosporidium and Giardia.

Compact and easy to maintain: A TrojanUVMax system, capable of treating the water for an entire home, is less than 20" (50cm) in length and fits just about anywhere. The only maintenance is an annual lamp change!

 

Private Water Supplies

Over 19 million American households and cottages rely on private wells. Tens of thousands more rely on lakes, streams, and other surface water sources. Unfortunately, not all of them have a UV water disinfection system protecting them from harmful micro-organisms.

While nation-wide studies do not exist, smaller scale studies have commonly found that between 20 and 40% of wells in any given region suffer from E.coli and/or coliform bacteria at any given time – not to mention the countless other micro-organisms that may be in a water supply.

The fact is that the quality of well water can vary from day to day and from year to year. In the short term, things like heavy rainfalls or snow melt can affect water quality. In the longer term quality may be affected by distant contamination sources such as earthquakes, and other factors.

Water that has been safe for years will not necessarily be safe tomorrow.

Municipal Water Supplies

Around the world governments invest heavily in order to assure the safety of the drinking water for their citizens. However, growing pollution and the costs of maintaining distribution networks make boil water advisories increasingly inevitable. Beyond the inconvenience they cause such advisories are a clear warning that the clean water we've taken for granted is becoming a scarce resource. In May 2000, 220 communities in British Columbia and 250 in Newfoundland faced boiled water advisories.

The Process

Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection uses a UV light source, which is enclosed in a transparent protective sleeve. It is mounted so that water can pass through a flow chamber and UV rays are admitted and absorbed into the stream. When ultraviolet energy is absorbed by the reproductive mechanisms of bacteria and viruses the genetic material (DNA/RNA) is rearranged and they can no longer reproduce. They are therefore considered dead and the risk of disease has been eliminated.

UV-rays are energy-rich electromagnetic rays that are found in the natural spectrum of the sunlight. They are in the range of the invisible short wave light having a wavelength ranging from 100 to 400 nm (1 nanometre = 10-9m).

Literature:

• Total, Fecal & E.coli Bacteria in Groundwater

		TrojanUVMax™ The TrojanUVMax™ models B through F have taken on a new look, and a feature set that's improved to the max! The TrojanUVMax™ product line is a highly flexible line capable of being used for such residential applications as homes, cottages, schools, nursing homes and camp grounds. Using the leading-edge technology they build into systems that treat the water for water bottlers and large cities. They have developed a product that establishes a new benchmark. TrojanUVMax is specially designed for residential use with a unique lamp and sleeve assembly that allows for both to be removed in seconds without any tools! What kind of warranty does Trojan offer? The TrojanUVMax comes with a ten-year warranty against manufacturer’s defects on the reactor chamber, and five years on the circuit boards, ballast, and all electrical connections. The UV lamp and the UV Intensity Monitor (not on all models) come with a one-year warranty. The above applies to components of original system ; please see complete warranty for details. Literature: TrojanUVMaxTM (Brochure)
		TrojanUVMax Pro Series We are working on this section of our website.  For more information please contact us at 604-534-1115 or toll-free at 1-800-900-2220.  Thank you and check back soon for more information.
		Excelight Model : EL12AK Flow rate : @16 mJ/cm² (NSF) : 2 gpm (0,45 m³/h) @30 mJ/cm² (Industry standard) : 1 gpm (0,23 m³/h) @40 mJ/cm² (NSF/EPA) : 0,5 gpm (0,11 m³/h) Model : EL1129AK Flow rate : @16 mJ/cm² (NSF) : 22 gpm (5 m³/h) @30 mJ/cm² (Industry standard) : 12 gpm (2,73 m³/h) @40 mJ/cm² (NSF/EPA) : 9 gpm (2,04 m³/h) Literature: Excelight UV Systems EL12AK Excelight UV Systems EL1129AK
		Hallett UV Disinfection Systems Community, Commercial & Residential Ultraviolet Purification Systems Chemical-free disinfection. NSF 55A* Certification Self-cleaning quartz sleeve. Canadian made and Canadian owned. Dual smart sensors monitor UV output and water quality. Visual & audible notification. Auto shut-off fail-safe valve so only safe water can enter the water supply. Stainless steel wiper prevents quartz fouling. Minimal pressure drop. 3 year warranty on electrical components; 5 year warranty on housing. Hallett 30 A new generation in UV water treatment devices, the Hallett 30 with patented Crossfire Technology for community and commercial applications outperforms conventional systems. It has the most effective UV dose for disinfection of all pathogens including viruses, bacteria, cryptosporidium, giardia, legionella and E. coli. Community Water System UV Purification Flow Capacity: 30 gpm Run in parallel - up to 600 gpm. Pictured to the left is a 7-unit Hallett 30 Ultraviolet Purification System run in parallel and used in a municipal water system. It is a small community with about 180 homes. The town needed a 20 minute residual time for chlorination without UV. If they used UV, they would not require any residual time. There was no physical room for the 4,000 gallon tanks that would be required for chlorination. As well, a pump would be required to draw the water from the tanks to the distribution system. The cost of the ultraviolet system was considerably less than a chlorination system. With the Hallett system, the town got the added benefit of a second disinfection system. The town required 180 gpm plus a redundant unit (180/30 - 6 + 1 = 7). They chose to run all seven units at once with a PLC that sends a signal if any unit goes down. If only six units are operational, they can still have a disinfected water supply knowing that six units meet their demands. The 7-unit Hallett 30 system sized for this community proved to be the most effective option with considerable cost savings in the acquisition and for future maintenance of the system. As well, the community can rest assured that they will enjoy "Pure, safe water. Always."
		The Upstream™ Series of UV Water Purification Systems After establishing industry leadership with its NSF/ANSI 55 Class A Hallett series, UV Pure has introduced its new Upstream series. Upstream is equipped with the same Crossfire Technology found in the Hallett systems. It is laboratory verified to the same standards as its NSF/ANSI 55 Class A series, and is affordably priced. Why Upstream™? Laboratory tested to 40 mJ/cm2 dose at END of lamp life — same as NSF/ANS55 Class A certification. Competing brands test at the beginning of lamp life and at a potentially unsafe dose of only 30 mJ/cm2. Tested at 50% and 75% UVT (UV transmittance) of water. Competing brands test at virtually pure 95% UVT. UpStream operates at a wide range of water and air temperatures and pre-treatment ranges, unlike competing brands with limited operating conditions. It comes with remote monitor operable up to 1000 feet from the unit. An industry first — all Upstream units come with remote monitors that display system and water status. An alarm is activated if water is in caution or critical status.

NSF International is the leading authority on residential water treatment system testing. For greater confidence that the system you buy will perform as specified, look for systems that have been certified against the rigorous requirements of NSF Standard 55 Class A. Click here to learn more.

FAQ's

What is ultraviolet (UV) light?: Ultraviolet light exists at the invisible, violet end of the light spectrum. Although we can't see UV light, we are exposed to a small amount every time we walk out into the sun. The water treatment industry uses special lamps that emit UV light of a particular wavelength in order to disinfect water.

How does UV work?: UV rays work by penetrating into bacteria and viruses, destroying their ability to function and reproduce. Simple but effective, these systems can destroy 99.99 per cent of harmful micro-organisms. It is done without adding chemicals or changing your water's taste or odour.

Why not use chlorine?: UV light does not produce harmful chemicals in drinking water. It's safe, effective and environmentally friendly. Chlorine however, reacts with certain compounds that may be present in the water supply, resulting in by-products that have been linked to cancer (such as trihalomethanes, or THMs). As well, many people object to the taste and smell of chlorinated water, making it that much less desirable to drink.

Is pre-treatment of my water required for a UV system to work? A 5-micron sediment filter is usually installed upstream of any UV system to eliminate any particles large enough to block the UV light. The UV system should always be installed downstream of any other water treatment equipment. However, ultimately the quality of your water will determine if additional pre-treatment is required.

What may be blocking the UV light?: Chemicals such as iron and calcium carbonate can form deposits on the UV lamp's protective sleeve, reducing the light that can penetrate the water. Water softeners and iron removal systems are sometimes required. Chemicals such as iron, tannins and humic acid are able to absorb UV light and thus reduce the amount available for disinfection. After performing a simple test to measure your water's UV transmittance, your water treatment specialist can recommend treatment devices to suit your water supply.
To determine what kind of upstream installation your system needs will require a water test. For information on water testing options, click here.

How do I know what size of UV unit to buy?: It depends on what kind of treatment plan you require. You can treat the water for your whole home or just the drinking water from one tap. It is recommended that you treat the water for your entire home if you draw from a private water supply.

Does a UV system consume a lot of energy?: No. A UV system that's able to treat the water for a typical house will consume about the same amount of energy as a 60-watt light bulb. UV is a cost-effective, natural way to increase water quality.

How often would I have to change the UV lamp? It is essential that you change the UV lamp once a year. UV lamps, like light bulbs, will dim with age and eventually burn out. Most UV brands design their UV units to generate the necessary UV light intensity for one year's continuous use. The lamp will continue to burn long after, but it will not generate an adequate amount of UV light necessary to treat your water effectively.