Loading... Please wait...
Blog
How to Remove Viruses from Water
- Posted by
Updated Aug 5, 2020
Some Viruses Spread Though Water
The Covid-19 Pandemic has brought virus transmission to the forefront of conversation. But to date, there is no indication that Covid-19 spreads through water, mainly through air and surface contact.
Yet other viruses, such as meningitis, hepatitis, gastroenteritis, conjunctivitis, SARs, hepatitis A, hepatitis E, and Typhoid can spread through water.
Waterborne viruses and bacteria cause hundreds of millions of people to become afflicted with diseases each year, simply because they ingested contaminated water.
WHO considers water-transmitted viral pathogens to be significant health concern.
Today, many people are searching for ways to ensure their drinking water is safe from water-borne viruses and bacteria. UV disinfection is a relatively inexpensive way to ensure water at every faucet in the household is virus free.
How to Remove Viruses from Drinking Water
A UV water disinfection system can destroy 99.99% of harmful microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, cysts) to ensure all water in a home is free of viruses and bacteria 24/7.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) site states: "Ultraviolet Light (UV Light) can be used as a pathogen reduction method against some microorganisms. The technology requires effective pre-filtering due to its dependence on low water turbidity (cloudiness), the correct power delivery, and correct contact times to achieve maximum pathogen reduction. Manufacturer’s instructions must be followed."
Many people choose to install a UV system as an added layer of protection, even if a home receives water from the city, because the public water system is often vulnerable to impurities leaching in. UV disinfection is considered to be a safe, economical, and a chemical-free way of disinfecting your water.
The UV system's effectiveness is dependent on correct system sizing and low sediment and turbidity/cloudiness in the water. A prefilter before a UV system, such as included in the combo VIQUA IHS22-D4 UV system, can help remove sediment and cloudiness so that UV light can effectively inactivate viruses.
Preparing for Emergencies
The US Government recommends that to prepare for a pandemic, households store a 2-week supply of water and food.
The Outback Emergency Water Filtration system has the right filters to protect against 99.99% of all viruses and 99.9999% of bacteria. The system has been used worldwide for 25+ years by relief organizations such as the Red Cross and Peace Corps.
The Outback meet US EPA standards for virus reduction and requires no electricity to operate.
If you have questions about how to ensure viruses are removed from your household water or want to know more about water filtration during times of emergencies, give us a call at 877-377-9876 (Mon-Fri, 8 am to 5 pm CT).
Best Emergency Water Systems for Households and Small Groups
Preparing for Emergencies and Natural DisastersIn recent years, we’ve witnessed the devastation and destruction left by earthquakes, fires, flooding, hurricanes and tsunamis. In fact, weather-related disasters are on the rise. The 2018 World Disasters Report, published by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies attributes more than one million fatalities to disasters throughout [...]
More Than Half of Americans are Concerned about Quality of Household Water
The majority of Americans are concerned about the overall quality of their water supply. A 2019 study of consumers' opinions and perceptions regarding water quality, looked at Americans’ attitudes and concerns about their water. It is the seventh time in 15 years that the Water Quality Association (WQA) has commissioned this professional opinion research team.Among the major [...]
Does Reverse Osmosis Waste Water?
Do RO Water Filtration Systems WASTE Water?If you have dirt on your hands and use water to rinse off the dirt, are you wasting water? Most would say no, but using water to wash the hands. Simply put: in the Reverse Osmosis process, water is utilized to "wash" impurities out of your water, too. Yes, water [...]
NSF Certification of UV Water Treatment - Is it Important?
Is NSF Certification of UV Systems Important? In the United States, almost every product in a commercial kitchen is NSF certified. For example, freezers, sinks, ovens, ice makers, and cutting boards must all be NSF certified in a commercial kitchen. These standards ensure quality and safety in not only in restaurants and cafeterias, but in many other [...]
How Long Does it Take to Fill a Reverse Osmosis Storage Tank?
How Long Does it Take to Fill a Reverse Osmosis Storage Tank? The short answer is it typically takes 2 to 4 hours to fill a standard reverse osmosis tank (2.8 gallons or 10.6 L). Because the reverse osmosis filtering process takes time, storage tanks are a necessary component with any RO system. Without a storage tank, [...]
Why do I Need UV if I’m on City Water?
If your home receives water from a city or municipal supplier, you may be asking, "Why should I worry about additional water treatment if the water already been treated at a water plant?" Municipal water suppliers do their best to protect the public. But contaminants can infiltrate aquifers and springs, and aging infrastructure can introduce contamination [...]
How is Ultraviolet Water Purification an Effective "Final Barrier" Solution?
Despite treatment at municipal water plants, contaminants may still be found in our water. The U.S. has some of the cleanest water in the world, but the ever-increasing threat of leaching pipes, corrosion, and plant power outages are very real causes for concern. The following contaminants may still be present in household drinking water: Pesticides and herbicides Pharmaceuticals Disinfection [...]
How to Safely Keep a Restaurant Operating During a Boil Water Advisory
Every year, thousands of “BOIL WATER ADVISORIES” are issued in cities throughout the U.S. These “alerts” or “advisories” are issued when there is the actual or strong possibility of bacterial contamination in the drinking water. When the threat is large, like widespread contamination and power outages after a hurricane or even when the threat is [...]
Boil Alert: What to do when a Boil Water Advisory is Issued
WARNING: Don’t Drink or Cook with the Water Realizing that you don't have access to clean, safe water for making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, or food preparation is enough to make most of us panic. If anything, it certainly heightens our awareness of how important water is in our everyday activities. While being told not to [...]