Is Copper-Silver Ionization the Best for Water Disinfection?
Safe, clean drinking water is more than essential — it’s imperative. Any building where people live, work, or play must keep water free from the host of waterborne pathogens that could be lurking within its plumbing. Bacteria, mold, viruses, and more living in the drinking water can expose people to a gallery of diseases and infections. At best, they could lead to outbreaks of gastrointestinal discomfort. At worst, they could be deadly. This makes potable water disinfection a high priority for property owners and managers of all types. Although chlorine has been a popular choice for this process in the past, it comes with several trade-offs: How does copper-silver ionization work? In the simplest terms, copper-silver ionization involves introducing electrically charged copper and silver ions into the water supply. These particles carry a positive charge, meaning they are attracted to and bond with any substance with a negative charge, such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Once the copper ions form an electrostatic bond with these pathogens, the silver ions penetrate the cell walls and permanently damage the cells’ DNA. This renders the contaminants dead while the ions remain to repeat the process. These ions are safe for human consumption and can continue to fight against infections as they travel through the plumbing system. This makes copper-silver ionization an excellent choice for disinfecting drinking water. This is why properties that serve large numbers of people — such as hospitals, hotels and resorts, and educational institutions — choose to install this technology. It has been proven effective for disinfecting from point-of-entry to point-of-use through the complete plumbing system keeping patients and patrons safe when interacting with water through showers, faucets, ice machines, and medical equipment. In addition, the process is harmless to pipes of all types, meaning it does not cause damage to plumbing systems and water-bearing equipment while maintaining a clean water source. LiquiTech is your partner for clean water Protecting the public from dangerous waterborne diseases should be at the top of your list if you own or manage a large facility in the healthcare or hospitality industries. As the leader in copper-silver ionization water treatment, LiquiTech understands how valuable this technology can be in killing Legionella and other pathogens. We can provide a comprehensive system and offer support in water testing, water management plans, remote monitoring, and more. If you want to learn more about how this process works and how we can help you take full advantage of it, get in touch with us today. Our experienced representatives are ready to answer any questions you may have.
Controlling Legionella Using Copper Silver Ionization
Hospitals and healthcare facilities need to do everything possible to prevent contagious diseases from spreading. One of the most critical ways they can do this is by providing water that has been treated to kill harmful pathogens such as bacteria and viruses. However, there are other environments in which clean water is an absolute necessity. Hotels, commercial properties, and other buildings where many people congregate are at risk for the growth and proliferation of disease-causing contaminants such as Legionella, the bacteria responsible for Legionnaire’s disease. Controlling Legionella and other infectious intruders should be a high priority, no matter what type of property you own. In the past, owners and managers were limited in their options, often forced to turn to chlorination and the use of other chemicals to control the levels of Legionella in their water supplies. Not only is this difficult to manage, but it can also lead to its own health risks if not adequately monitored. This is why many facility managers have turned to a more successful alternative: copper-silver ionization. What is copper-silver ionization? This process involves distributing ions into a building’s plumbing to kill any pathogens that may be present. The ions produced by the LiquiTech ionization process are cationic, surface-active, and a potent biocide. The treatment action is attributable to the positively charged copper and silver ions forming electrostatic bonds with negatively charged sites on microorganism cell walls. These electrostatic bonds create stresses that lead to distorted cell wall permeability, disrupting the intake of life-sustaining nutrients and ultimately leading to cell lysis. Bacteria are killed rather than merely suppressed, as with alternative Legionella treatment methods. The accurate dose-rate control system maintains precise ion levels, providing residual protection and prevention of recontamination. What are the benefits of this process? Compared to methods that depend on chemicals, copper-silver ionization offers several advantages. These include: LiquiTech: The experts in copper-silver ionization As the recognized leader in the application of this technology, LiquiTech is your go-to source for copper silver ionization, as well as many other services related to battling waterborne pathogens. To learn more about what we can do for your facilities, get in touch with us today.
Top Five Long-Term Benefits of Copper-Silver Ionization
Copper-silver ionization gives you the ease of knowing that your water system is completely purified and protected with minimal maintenance. Compared to other disinfection methods like hyperchlorination, thermal eradication, ozone disinfection, and ultraviolet radiation, copper-silver ionization is safer, more effective, lasts longer, and is more reliable. Here are five long-term benefits of utilizing copper-silver ionization over other disinfection methods. 1. No harmful by-products, eco-friendly, and safe Copper-silver ionization is the safest and most eco-friendly solution for supplemental water treatment. Other methods, like hyperchlorination, work by injecting high doses of chlorine into the water supply to kill bacteria. According to research, approximately 70 percent of chlorine dioxide degrades in hot water, meaning extremely high concentrations of chlorine are required to sustain efficacy. Maintaining such a high concentration is challenging and creates by-products that are proven carcinogenic. During copper-silver ionization, tiny doses of copper and silver are added to the water supply, thereby preventing harmful products, carcinogenic risks, and adverse health-related side effects. 2. Minimal maintenance for your team Unlike hyperchlorination, copper-silver ionization does not require continuous dosing. Other disinfecting methods like thermal eradication are time-consuming, tedious, and labor-intensive because numerous personnel monitors distal sites, water tank temperatures, and flushing times are required to prevent bacterial recolonization in the water system. Copper-silver ionization is easy to install and requires minimal monitoring and maintenance, and depending on your service agreement, our team could do all the work for you. 3. Residual protection Research shows that residual protection lasts up to two months after a copper-silver system is turned off – the ions continue to recirculate in the plumbing environment providing residual protection from bacteria. Comparatively, hyperchlorination is only effective in short periods as bacterial recolonization often occurs simply as the disinfectant levels decrease. Likewise, ozone disinfection and ultraviolet radiation do not provide residual protection and may require a secondary disinfectant. A safety buffer is created to prevent contamination during copper-silver ionization, even if the system is off. 4. No corrosive effects Most chemical solutions are proven to be corrosive to your plumbing infrastructure in the long term, causing pinhole leaks and other costly issues that require equipment replacements. Ozone disinfection imposes a high voltage, which may damage the lids and pumps in a system. A common misconception about copper-silver ionization is that copper ions have corrosive effects. This is not the case. Copper-silver ionization keeps the plumbing intact to ensure the longevity of your plumbing infrastructure. 5. Better for your budget Copper-silver ionization has low consumable costs compared to other conventional disinfection methods. In hyperchlorination, long-term disinfection leads to high costs from corrosion. Like thermal eradication, long-term use can become logistically tedious due to increasing energy costs for maintaining higher hot-water temperatures. Other technologies or alternatives come with consumable and regular maintenance costs in addition to the upfront investment of the system. Copper-silver ionization is the most cost-effective approach. It quickly pays for itself by eliminating the need to spend additional dollars on sanitizers, clarifiers, maintenance, monitoring, and personnel training.
Top 10 Most-Asked Questions About Copper-Silver Ionization
As the pioneers of copper-silver ionization technology, we pride ourselves on being the leading industry experts in copper-silver ionization. In this blog, we answer the top 10 most-asked questions about copper-silver ionization. 1. What is copper-silver ionization? Copper-silver ionization is a non-oxidant water treatment technology regarded as the most clinically effective prevention and remediation solution for Legionella, the bacteria responsible for Legionnaires’ disease (Legionellosis). During this treatment, ions are systematically introduced into the water using a byproduct-free method to rid the plumbing infrastructure of Legionella bacteria and other waterborne pathogens. 2. How does copper-silver ionization work? Copper-silver ionization is an electrolysis process that introduces positively charged copper and silver ions into the water supply as current is applied across copper and silver electrodes. The positive ions bind to the negative cell walls of bacteria, causing the protein in the cell wall to break down, effectively inactivating and eliminating the bacteria. 3. Why is copper-silver ionization better than other water treatment solutions? Copper-silver ionization is an effective disinfection process that does not require chlorine, unsafe consumables, or dangerous by-products. This disinfection method is effective at the point of entry and in both hot and cold-water temperatures, unlike chlorine-based technologies whose disinfectant rapidly dissipates in hot water environments rendering it ineffective. Copper silver ionization protects your building by preventing damage to the plumbing infrastructure and creating the safest environment for clinical patients. Unlike others in the industry, it also provides up to 90 days of residual protection after the system is shut off. The ions continue to circulate and actively eliminate Legionella and other waterborne pathogens. 4. What do I need to consider when installing a copper-silver ionization system? Installation in the United States will require 110V power capability. LiquiTech offers several configurations based on the needs of your specific facility. Each of our systems is sized to meet your particular water demands. The flow cells are typically installed on a bypass at the point of entry or hot water recirculation loop, and the controller and flow meter can be mounted on a wall separate from the flow cell location. We can also provide a rack-mounted system with inlet and outlet connections. The maintenance of our copper-silver ionization is relatively minimal. Every month, LiquiTech provides a customized Strategic Service Alliance (SSA) plan to ensure your facility’s water protection. LiquiTech personnel can provide all or a portion of the required service in conjunction with the available support from the facility. 5. What does LiquiTech need from me to price out a copper-silver ionization system? LiquiTech will custom design a system based on the water consumption demands of your facility. You will begin with a LiquiTech representative who works with you to identify the specifics of your facility’s water system. Our engineers use this information to design the specific system components required to meet the water demands of your facility. 6. Does copper-silver ionization have harmful disinfection by-products or side effects? Copper-silver ionization has no disinfection by-products or side effects. During copper-silver ionization, copper and silver are added to the water supply at doses of approximately 0.3-0.4 ppm and 30-40 ppb, respectively. This dosage is lower than the maximum amount set by the EPA. This ensures complete safety when utilizing our method by preventing all harmful by-products, carcinogenic risks, and side effects. 7. Does pH affect the efficacy of copper-silver ionization? No pH level has hindered the efficacy of any LiquiTech system in our 25 years of experience. We have successfully treated water with a pH above nine without complications. 8. Can I use copper-silver ionization effectively on cold water systems? Yes. Copper-silver ions are not affected by water temperature. They have been used successfully in hot and cold-water applications, unlike chlorine and chlorine dioxide, which dissipate in warmer water temperatures. 9. How long does it take to kill Legionella? While anything can easily be killed in a lab or a petri dish, at LiquiTech, we measure our success by our ability to eliminate the bacteria to non-detectable levels in actual field applications. LiquiTech has consistently demonstrated a superior ability to take a facility contaminated with Legionella and achieve non-detect status within 72 hours of installation. Our competitors have 12 to 24 months to ‘gain control’ in an actual field application and, to this day, will not claim non-detect as an achievable and sustainable capability. 10. Is copper-silver ionization effective against other bacteria? Yes, copper-silver ionization has been tested and proven to be effective against a broad spectrum of microorganisms such as Pseudomonas and Mycobacterium, all of which have been eradicated with our disinfection process. We have also drastically reduced pinhole leak problems related to microbial-induced corrosion. There is no evidence that bacteria have developed resistance to copper and silver ions, contrary to chlorine-based treatments, which are only effective against selective bacteria.
