Organisations are placing greater emphasis on water quality than ever before. Health and safety legislations have become more stringent in recent years. This is due to a number of factors; an increase in the use of recycled water, plant equipment being operated at lower temperatures and a growing awareness of the dangers of water contamination. For these reasons, more and more organisations are looking for treatments to improve their water quality. What will water filtration achieve? Water filtration will remove sand, minerals, scale, dirt and rust; particles that can infiltrate your water system and cause corrosion, erosion and contamination. This technique is an essential part of many water treatment processes, which frequently require pre-filtering to ensure maximum quality, and also to extend the life of components. Types of water filtration There are various types of water filtration. Some techniques use a carbon filter which traps the unwanted particles in its pores. Others use a standard mesh filter and there is also water filtration by reverse osmosis. With carbon filters, the efficiency of the filter very much depends upon a variety of factors, such as the type of carbon, the volume of water passing through it and the age of the filter. Other water filters use state-of-the-art backwash filters, which unlike replaceable cartridge elements, only need replacing every three years or so, offering significant savings on the cost of maintenance and downtime. In addition, backwash filters offer automatic cleaning that can be carried out in a matter of seconds, without any interruption to the normal water supply. Multi-media filters offer further flexibility, allowing you to filter out specific elements depending upon your requirements. These are bespoke filters; manufactured to meet the needs of a specific site with its individual requirements and flow rates.

Theory: *Types of filtration and how they work www.freedrinkingwater.com/ water-education/quality-water- filtration-method.htm#Anchor-Carbon-11481 Trade Articles: *Articles from Water Purification & Conditioning Magazine http://www.wcponline.com /PDF/0305%20whoreport.pdf

How does water filtration work? Filters are used to prevent particles of dirt and contamination or specific compounds and elements from within the water, from passing through it, thus ensuring that the required level of purification is achieved. Filters can vary from a 20 micron mesh size, right through to 200 micron - allowing people to select the most appropriate filter for their needs. The maintenance required depends upon the filter selected. The standard manual filter cartridge will need to be replaced every three to six months, depending on the water quality. By using a self-cleaning ‘backwash’ method, more advanced models only need cartridges replacing every three years or so. With the ‘backwash’ method of cleaning, water is rapidly forced downwards, taking any filtered debris with it. At the same time, a valve at the bottom of the filter housing is opened, allowing this water and debris to pass through it as waste. With semi-automatic models, a lever is turned to manually trigger this backwash action. With a fully automatic variety, this can be performed by electronic solenoid. For more information on the HYDROFIL units follow this link.

Industry Information:   *Particle size removal range by filtration www.freedrinkingwater.com/water- education/quality-water-filtration -method.htm#Anchor-Pulling-44867 Useful tips: *How to choose your water filtration www.ehow.com/how_16271_ choose-water-filtration.html

Why might you need water filtration by reverse osmosis? Over recent years, there has been an ever-increasing demand for water purification. Heightened awareness of the dangers posed by water contamination, as well as stricter health and safety legislation, have led to an increased awareness of the need for higher-quality water.   Consequently, more and more organisations are looking for effective methods of raising the standard of their water quality.   This method of purification is used throughout the hotel industry, in hospitals for renal dialysis, and in universities for chemistry laboratories and for boiler feed water, etc. What will water filtration by reverse osmosis achieve? Water filtration by reverse osmosis will remove a whole host of impurities from your water system; filtering particles down to a tiny 10 angstroms[1] in size.   Many people prefer drinking water that has been treated in this way, as it removes unpalatable minerals, yet retains the oxygen that makes water taste pleasant.   How does water filtration by reverse osmosis work? Remember your biology lessons on osmosis?  To understand ‘reverse osmosis’, it’s probably easiest to go back to that standard ‘osmosis’. Osmosis is the principle where a solvent will naturally be absorbed by a solution of higher concentration.  Where two different concentrates are separated in a container by a semi-permeable membrane, the lower concentrate passes across the membrane to the higher concentrate, until there is equal pressure on both sides. [1] One angstrom is a length equal to one hundred-millionth of a centimetre   So, let’s apply the principle to reverse osmosis water filtration. Reverse osmosis occurs when external pressure is applied to overcome the osmotic pressure.  This results in the reversal of the direction of flow through the membrane, while preventing the passage of contaminant particles. The purified water is separated as the product water, while the contaminants are flushed to waste. So, in essence this is how water filtration by reverse osmosis is carried out. For more information on HYDROMOS follow this link.

Theory: *Information on low water filtration by reverse osmosis works  www.agr.gc.ca/pfra/flash/  polishing/en/polishing_e.htm Trade articles: *Variety of articles from Facilities Management Journal www.ingentaconnect.com/search?title=reverse+osmosis&database=1  Useful Tips: *Commercial Reverse Osmosis Systems: Design Guidelines    www.wqa.org/pdf/Technical/ cirodes.pdf