Plumbing Africa April 2018 | Page 31

HEALTH AND SANITATION << Continued from page 27 these notices are issued as a precaution, but others are originated based on known events. When there is a boil water notice in a certain area, the corresponding consumers have two options: boiling all the water used at home or installing a microbiological water treatment system, such as the ones that have been mentioned. To select the best system according to one’s needs, it is very important to keep in mind that systems have to pass certain certifications to be considered capable of removing microbiological contaminants. With that said, there are two useful tools available: the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Guide Standard for Microbiological Water Purifiers (sometimes referred to as “the Guide Standard”) and the P-231 protocol, which is more recent. The difference between them is that the Guide Standard is recommended for testing units used for treating water that may be microbiologically unsafe or is of unknown quality, while the P-231 protocol is used 29 for testing units meant for the supplemental treatment of water deemed to be microbiologically safe. Therefore, any system that is certified through either protocol is considered a system that would provide microbiological protection to the consumer. To be completely sure that a certain system is properly certified, the consumer should check on the appropriate agency websites that provide a list of certified systems. In conclusion, electropositive filters provide an easy and efficient solution for the filtration of broad spectrum contaminants, including the removal of microorganisms. Pathogens are considered to be very aggressive contaminants and their removal is of great interest to the consumer. Identifying the most suitable system for everyone’s needs is challenging, but that problem can be overcome by providing literature that educates the general population, thus resulting in a more informed decision.  PA There are two main types of separation mec hanism: sieve retention and adsorption. Operational conditions and water quality through superheat-and-flush disinfection in legionella control The superheat-and-flush disinfection method involves raising the water temperature in the hot water heater sufficiently to ensure hot water is delivered to all outlets. By Environmental Protection Agency, document EPA 810-R-16-001 Flushing involves hot water passing throughout the system and outlets for a suitable period. In building water systems that are not heavily contaminated, a www.plumbingafrica.co.za constant hot water heater temperature of 60 degrees C (and 55 degrees at the outlets) is often enough to control but not necessarily eliminate legionella. Continued on page 31 >> April 2018 Volume 24 I Number 2