Menu
In hospitals, dental clinics and other facilities used by vulnerable populations, prevention, monitoring and testing protocols for pathogens in the water distribution system should be maintained in such a way that colonisation is prevented or minimised.
Watercore engineers collaborate with labs, clinics and hospitals to provide the best solutions and treatment for ultra pure water for their business compliant with AS4187 and/or ISO3696.
A number of common water contaminants, also known as substrate, are likely to be used by bacteria for growth:
Ingress of contaminants can occur through tanks, pipes and connections to the pipe network and monitoring the integrity of the distribution system is a fundamental to guarantee the quality of water supplied to patients and health personnel.
Different factors must be assessed before deciding the most appropriate disinfection method for a water supply. A satisfactory disinfection requires a disinfectant concentration (dosing) combined with a contact time. Disinfection by-products are another important concern as some of them can be dangerous for human health.
| Disinfecting Agent | Chlorine | Chloramines | Ozone | UV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bacteria Inactivation | ++ | + | +++ | ++ |
| Virus Inactivation | +++ | + | +++ | ++ |
| Protozoa Cyst Inactivation | 0 | 0 | + | +++ |
| Minimum Contact Time | 30 min | 2 hours | 2 minute | 1 second |
| By-products | THMs and chlorinated acetic acids | Halonitrils | Bromates (BrO3-) dangerous @ 10ug/L. Manganese Oxide (MnO2) | 0 |
| Residual Effect | + | ++ | 0 | 0 |
According to the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines “Silver is a weak biocide/bacteriostat that has been used occasionally for disinfection, particularly in point-of-use devices. However, there is no reliable evidence that these products worked effectively to kill micro-organisms. A long exposure time of several hours to days is required for any biocidal effect to be observed” . For this reason we recommend alternative disinfection methods.
Some procedures should be put in place and maintained to prevent the contamination of the internal water distribution system:
| Final Rinse Water –Washer Disinfectors | Steam Generator Feedwater Quality | Steam Sterilizers Feedwater Quality | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appearence | Colourless clean without sediment | Colourless clean without sediment | Colourless clean without sediment |
| PH | 5.5 – 8 | 5 – 7.5 | 5 – 7 |
| Conductivity @ 25C | 30 μS/cm | 5 μS/cm | 3 μS/cm |
| Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) | 40 mg/l | 10 mg/l | —— |
| Total Hardness | 50 mg/l (CaCO3) | 0.02 mmol/l | 0.02 mmol/l |
| Chloride (Cl) | 10 mg/l | 2 mg/l | 0.1 mg/l |
| Lead (Pb) | 10 mg/l | 0.05 mg/l | 0.05 mg/l |
| Iron (Fe) | 2 mg/l | 0.2 mg/l | 0.1 mg/l |
| Phosphate (P2O5) | 0.2 mg/l | 0.5 mg/l | 0.1 mg/l |
| Silicate (SiO2) | 0.2 mg/l | 1 mg/l | 0.1 mg/l |
| Cadmium (Cd) | —– | 0.005 mg/l | 0.005 mg/l |
| Total count (cfu/100 ml) | 10 | —– | —– |
| Endotoxin (EU/ml) | 0.25 | —– | —– |
Deionization, also referred to as demineralization or ion exchange, is the process of removing ions from water with the use of synthetic resins.
In contrast to conventional ion exchange in which resins are exhausted and must be chemically regenerated, EDI utilizes an electric current for continual resin regeneration.
© 2018 All rights reserved
Here to help with our commercial and industrial water treatment solutions
Please fill up the following form and we will get back within the next 48 hours.