The latest advances into the design & construction of small-scale Ultra Filtration ("UF") and ultra-violet sterilizer ("UV") systems has allowed this technology to be available to kill bacteria in residential and light commercial well water systems. The combining of UF along with UV means that now homeowners are capable of having access to disinfected drinking water free from microorganisms at reasonable prices.

The United States EPA regulates public water utilities but it is lacking the legal right to regulate private water wells. Around 15 percent of Americans depend on their own private well water supplies, and these wells are not governed by EPA regulations. In contrast to municipal water systems serving numerous people, households which get water via privately owned bore holes don't have professionals routinely examining the source water before it is sent to the faucet. These homes must take specific precautions to guarantee the protection and maintenance of their drinking water supplies.

Water that is not treated correctly may be contaminated with microorganisms that cause disease, also known as pathogens. Pathogenic agents include various types of Giardia, Cryptosporidium, e-coli bacteria as well as other types of bacteria. In public water supplies adding chlorine is the most standard method used to kill pathogens. For private water wells, many homeowners turn to Ultraviolet systems to ensure the well water is safe from harmful bacteria. However, a type of water treatment commonly called UF can be used to provide excellent disinfection minus the costs & maintenance associated with chlorination or UV alone.

Ultraviolet sterilizers employ UV light to be able to kill bacteria as water passes through the UV system. The bacteria are bombarded with intense UV rays and afterwards cannot replicate. In contrast to chlorine, there aren't any chemical by-products or tastes with UV sterilization. Even though ultra-violet does a great job at getting rid of harmful microorganisms, if the Ultraviolet device is not properly sized, or if perhaps the water has excessive amounts of metals or perhaps color , some of the bacteria may not be completely destroyed, and afterwards may recover and grow back inside the home piping system. UV will not literally remove harmful microorganisms from the water and in some cases the bacteria may only end up being partly destroyed, particularly if the well water is not sufficiently low enough in minerals or clear enough to allow UV light to effectively penetrate the actual water being treated. UF membranes in comparison micro-filter the water down to sub-micron ranges to effectively filter out virtually all bacteria, sediment and suspended particles.

Savvy consumers occasionally inquire about the difference between UF and UV systems for disinfection of well and spring waters. The main distinction is the fact that UV kills bacteria but doesn't remove them, while UF is able to physically block them. Whereas Ultraviolet relies upon electrical energy to function, UF doesn't need electrical energy. In the event of a storm or flood, boil-order, or other unexpected emergency a UF will continue to take out bacteria, while an Ultra violet sterilizer will not.

Hollow-fiber UF membranes are used all over the world to treat municipal and industrial water on a large scale. Recent advancements with small-scale membrane chemistry and design are making UF membranes are resistant to breaking, and can be easily cleaned. Small package systems that include automatic backwash control modules make UF systems suitable for small home well water applications.

UF membranes look like strands or fibers with hollowed out cores. The surface of the membrane serves as a physical barrier to turbidity and pathogens. The use of hundreds of these fibers incorporated inside each system provides adequate surface area to supply flows of 10 to 12 gallons per minute for each 4 x 40 membrane. Each UF membrane contains millions of 0.015 micron sized pores. For example Cryptosporidium as well as Giardia cysts, two common form of parasitic organisms are approximately 8 to 13 microns long and are oblong in shape. UF systems have been independently certified and tested to block 99.99.999 percent of bacteria and 99.999 percent of viruses.

UF filters have proven to be well-suited for disinfection of bacteria and removal of fine suspended solids because the construction allows for thorough backwashing and rinsing. These newer kinds of residential UF systems contain built-in automatic backwash control panels which permit them to work great with either municipal, well water, rainwater or surface water. With regard to water that is very contaminated with pathogens the combination of UF together with UV is an excellent combination. The UF system removes turbidity and color, and acts as a physical barrier to micro-organisms and is installed in front of the UV. The UV system then can act as a secondary barrier and ensure the water is free of bacteria and viruses.