Ever wondered if there was a way to filter water, no nasty chemicals or salt hassle required? Culligan has been on the front lines of breakthrough technology like UV filtration for generations, and we’re hard at work expanding on the technology that allows us to provide effective filtration for every kind of need.
How UV Systems Work
UV disinfection has been used for decades in various capacities after the germicidal properties of sunlight were discovered. It wasn’t long before this naturally occurring phenomenon was harnessed to focus specific spectrums of ultra violet light toward eliminating harmful microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, and certain pathogens from water.
In general, UV light is applied through a combination of gas applied with a voltage that creates the desired disinfecting wavelength. This is all contained in, typically, a quartz sleeve that water passes through during the disinfection process. Ultra violet light can, when properly applied, eliminate most of the leading causes of waterborne illness like:
- Cryptosporidium
- Giardia,
- Salmonella
- E.Coli
Benefits of UV Treatment
Using ultra violet treatment can come with a variety of benefits.
- Low maintenance,
- Reduced carbon footprint
- No treatment by products like salt
- No chemicals (chlorine etc.)
- No change to taste, smell, or appearance of water
Will it Work for My Water?
Well water generally has the highest risk for carrying or containing protozoa like giardia because of the availability for ground water contamination and/or runoff, so while it may be useful for those using municipal water, there’s generally more need for those served by wells.
What’s also important to understand about UV water treatment is that it is only effective in water that is already mostly pure. For example, dissolved sediment and minerals like iron, manganese, and sulfur can impact how effectively ultra violet exposure renders microorganisms inert. If water is hard to begin with, pathogens can essentially hide behind iron or sulfur particles, making the treatment ineffective. In many cases, ultra violet applications are used as the last in a series of treatments.
This in mind, if your water is already soft but you’re concerned about contaminants, UV treatment may be a perfect solution. In order to know for certain, it’s easy to have a Culligan Expert test your water and evaluate flow rate to see if a UV filter makes sense, or if it should be used in conjunction with another type of filtration like a softener.
