In the last few years there have been several serious contaminations of residential water supplies in Canada. That said, most municipal water treatment facilities take great care to ensure the water they provide is safe. But what if you're one of millions of Canadians who rely on a well for water? Well water can become contaminated quite easily. And the big fear-especially since the Walkerton, Ont., and North Battleford Sask., contaminations- is bacteria, particularily deadly strains of E. coli. One of the newest methods to keep residential water bacteria-free are high-intensity ultraviolet (UV) light filters that quickly kill bacteria and viruses.
Although UV light filters have been used reliably in industrial applications for many years they were bulky and expensive; recently, however, smaller and less expensive systems became available for residential use.
For this well water installation, we started by having the water tested by a private lab. The results were encouraging and the water was determined to be completely safe to drink. The UV system was installed as a precaution, in case of a bacterial contamination between regular tests.
We chose a UV unit made by Trojan Technologies Inc., which meets stringent NSF International certification requirements and enlisted the help of Trojan's Reid Thornley to oversee the entire installation.
The particular unit we chose monitors the UV bulb's intensity; an alarm sounds if the light intensity decreases or the bulb fails. As an extra precaution we also installed a solenoid valve which shuts off the water supply in the event of a failure.
Acting on Reid's recommedation, we also installed a five-micron sediment filter upstream of the UV unit. The sediment filter prevents floating particles from reaching the UV chamber where they could potentially sheild the bacteria from being exposed to the light.
The final step to safeguard the water involves disinfecting all the exisiting lines downstream from the UV filter with chlorine bleach. Fill the sediment filter with bleach and open each water outlet until the bleach is detected. Once the chlorine bleach has filled the entire system, let it stand for four-to-six hours before flushing with fresh water.
The complete system cost approximately $700 (including the sediment filter and shut-off solenoid). The installation took four hours.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
PLUMBING: propane torch, solid-core solder, paste flux, emery cloth, pipe cutter, tape measure, adjustable wrenches and pipe wrenches.
Electrical: wire cutters and strippers, assorted scredrivers, utility knife. Other: drill, gloves and safety glasses.
0 Comment