Water With Bacteria ContaminationA common hazard of household water is contamination by potentially harmful bacteria and other micro-organisms. Short term gastrointestinal disorders and illnesses such as gastro-enteritis, giardiasis, typhoid, dysentery, cholera, and hepatitis have been linked to water contaminated by microorganisms. The micro-organisms which find their way into a water supply can come from a variety of sources including sewage, animal wastes, or dead and decaying animals. Public water systems are required by state and federal governments to provide biologically safe water. However, the safety of a privately-owned, individual water supply, such as a backyard well, rests in the hands of its owner. |
How can an individual tell if household water is contaminated with bacteria? Bacteria in water cannot be seen, tasted, or smelled and many health-related symptoms are not immediate. Therefore, the only way to reliably determine if water is contaminated is by a laboratory test. Testing a water supply for a specific disease-causing organism can be expensive. Handling and culturing disease organisms requires special training and equipment. Instead, water supplies are usually tested for the presence of coliform bacteria. These bacteria are always present in the digestive systems of humans and animals, and can be found in their wastes. Coliform bacteria are also present in soil and in plant material. Most of these bacteria do not cause disease. They are simply an indicator that the water supply is contaminated and that disease-causing bacteria may be present.
The test for the presence of coliform bacteria is relatively inexpensive and easy to perform. The standard test is called total coliform. The Federal goal for total coliform in public drinking water is zero. Water samples that contain any coliform bacteria are generally reported as “total coliform positive.” Federal regulations now require that public drinking water found to be “total coliform positive” must be analyzed with a fecal coliform or E.coli test. These fecal bacteria originate only in human and animal waste. It is unacceptable for fecal bacteria to be present in any concentration in a water supply. Culligan of Missoula can come to your home and do the test for you.
Missoula Bacterial Removal U.V Systems:Custom design, easy maintenance, up to 18,000 hours lamp life. Energy efficient disinfection lamps: low pressure, medium pressure, high output, and amalgam. Standard or variable control power supplies including electronic ballasts. Electro polished 304 or 316 stainless steel reactor vessels with a 1 year warranty. UL listed electrical components. |
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How Does An Ultra Violet System Work?UV TECHNOLOGY On site wastewater treatment plants generally require some form of disinfection in order to meet specific regulated bacterial limits before discharging to surface waters. The main objective of disinfection is to reduce the number of waterborne pathogens downstream to safe levels and thereby lowering the risk of exposing people to infectious disease. The persistence of some pathogens in receiving waters and soils indicates that disinfection of wastewater effluents must provide the first line of defense for drinking water from surface or ground sources. To meet this objective, the disinfectant must inactivate a wide range of bacteria and virus in a variety of water and wastewater variations. Disinfection may be accomplished by chemical or physical methods. However, an increased awareness of the many disadvantages of chemical disinfectants; especially the most common, chlorine, leads many wastewater engineers to search for a non-chemical means. The solution to this quest is both energy and cost efficient ultraviolet systems. These systems embody many attractive features and benefits. Ultraviolet light provides a physical process for the disinfection of water and wastewater without the disadvantages associated with chemical disinfection. UV either kills microorganisms or inactivates their reproductive capability – effectively disinfecting wastewater effluent. In the process of disinfecting with UV, wastewater flows past specially engineered light bulbs, which emit ultraviolet light energy. This form of treatment reduces free chlorine levels required up to 99%. This same type of UV process is commonly used in beverage, pharmaceutical, semiconductor and food processing industries to destroy pathogens and spoilage organisms. The primary benefit to using ultraviolet light for disinfection is the fact that it is non-chemical. UV, therefore, adds nothing to the water or air and does not chemically alter the structure of the treated fluid or product. This is compared to chemical disinfection techniques, which involve shipping and handling of hazardous materials, and depend on reactions, which may and often do produce very toxic by-products. UV offers an alternative, which is successfully practiced without adding any negative consequences. Ultraviolet light; energy found naturally in sunlight, is within the electromagnetic spectrum. The light emitted by these units is in the range between 200-300 nanometers which is widely known to be lethal to harmful microorganisms. By disrupting the reproductive mechanism (DNA) of bacteria, viruses, yeasts and molds and algae, the organisms are inactivated, thereby making this process extremely useful in eliminating agents of disease, spoilage and biological growth Note: customers requiring the removal of sodium, chlorides, and total dissolved solids will need a reverse osmosis system
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