Tanksafe – The best way to disinfect your rain water
Along with a selection of sediment filters, carbon filters and neutralising treatment systems, Puretec offers Tank safe as part of its range in treating rainwater, surface water or underground water. There is a growing need for these as more alternative sources are needed for treating water to make it safe and healthy. Groundwater can be contaminated and the water that condenses out of the clouds soon becomes polluted in the air as it falls on the roof where it is collected and also in the tank where it is stored.
The Leaf Guards, First Flush Diverter Systems and Debris Filters all help towards better quality water but there are still animals on the roof leaving droppings behind, dust blowing onto the roof and organic matter collecting in the system. Many people have lived on rainwater for years with little or no treatment and no ill effects, but this is an acquired immunity. Persons new to drinking rainwater commonly experience health problems directly attributable to the quality of water. The contamination noted before often gives rise to bacterial build up directly as a consequence of organisms associated with animal intestines. Escherichia Coli commonly referred to as E. Coli or faecal coliforms is perhaps the best known of these. It is readily identified and measured in a laboratory so that it is used as a widespread test and is a good indicator that contamination from animal faeces is present. E. coli has various forms with effects ranging from beneficial to lethal but the main thing is it is evidence of the presence of other bacterial organisms as well. Additionally, treatment that drops the E. coli count to zero is deemed to have killed all the various organisms.
Tanksafe works to kill these organisms or pathogens rendering the water safe to drink. The major advantage of this is it is cheap, easy to apply and monitor, and this remedy does not leave harmful residues. Chlorine by way of contrasting example leaves residue and bad taste with distinct possibility of also forming carcinogenic (cancer causing) compounds. Tanksafe on the other hand is composed of Hydrogen Peroxide and Silver Nitrate. Hydrogen Peroxide is a compound of Hydrogen and Oxygen H2O2 and the Oxygen is what kills the harmful organisms. This means the compound breaks down into water and oxygen. The silver nitrate is well recognised for its extremely low toxicity and is used in combination as it exponentially increases the biocide effect and renders the hydrogen peroxide more stable both in storage and after the disinfection has taken place. Hydrogen peroxide is naturally unstable but with the silver nitrate the product has a 2-year shelf life provided it is stored in a cool, dark spot in an opaque container.
The dosage rates are 1 litre per 16000 litre tank and it needs 24 hours to mix thoroughly and do its work. The disinfection lasts in the tank about 2 months after which time redosing will be needed. Also should there be organic matter in the tank, this will consume the effective oxygen from the product which in return will lower the concentration as observed with the test strips. Obviously additional influx of water will also lower the concentration.
References
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16766878
More information on Puretec Rainwater Tank Purifier
The Leaf Guards, First Flush Diverter Systems and Debris Filters all help towards better quality water but there are still animals on the roof leaving droppings behind, dust blowing onto the roof and organic matter collecting in the system. Many people have lived on rainwater for years with little or no treatment and no ill effects, but this is an acquired immunity. Persons new to drinking rainwater commonly experience health problems directly attributable to the quality of water. The contamination noted before often gives rise to bacterial build up directly as a consequence of organisms associated with animal intestines. Escherichia Coli commonly referred to as E. Coli or faecal coliforms is perhaps the best known of these. It is readily identified and measured in a laboratory so that it is used as a widespread test and is a good indicator that contamination from animal faeces is present. E. coli has various forms with effects ranging from beneficial to lethal but the main thing is it is evidence of the presence of other bacterial organisms as well. Additionally, treatment that drops the E. coli count to zero is deemed to have killed all the various organisms.
Tanksafe works to kill these organisms or pathogens rendering the water safe to drink. The major advantage of this is it is cheap, easy to apply and monitor, and this remedy does not leave harmful residues. Chlorine by way of contrasting example leaves residue and bad taste with distinct possibility of also forming carcinogenic (cancer causing) compounds. Tanksafe on the other hand is composed of Hydrogen Peroxide and Silver Nitrate. Hydrogen Peroxide is a compound of Hydrogen and Oxygen H2O2 and the Oxygen is what kills the harmful organisms. This means the compound breaks down into water and oxygen. The silver nitrate is well recognised for its extremely low toxicity and is used in combination as it exponentially increases the biocide effect and renders the hydrogen peroxide more stable both in storage and after the disinfection has taken place. Hydrogen peroxide is naturally unstable but with the silver nitrate the product has a 2-year shelf life provided it is stored in a cool, dark spot in an opaque container.
The dosage rates are 1 litre per 16000 litre tank and it needs 24 hours to mix thoroughly and do its work. The disinfection lasts in the tank about 2 months after which time redosing will be needed. Also should there be organic matter in the tank, this will consume the effective oxygen from the product which in return will lower the concentration as observed with the test strips. Obviously additional influx of water will also lower the concentration.
References
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16766878
More information on Puretec Rainwater Tank Purifier