Ultraviolet Tank Water Filtration

Tank water users - effective whole house protection.

Protect yourself from:

• Giardia and Cryptosporidium cysts
• E-coli & Bacteria
• Viruses

The powerful UV light is shone on the water as it passes through the UV tube, destroying the organism's DNA thus rendering it inactive and harmless! Ultraviolet purification is very effective and we recommend it to ALL tank water users.

"Its not a matter if you may get harmful bacteria in your tank water but when you will get harmful bacteria in your drinking water’ - Steve Reynolds, Pure Water Services.

Water Services

If you think about it you have no control over what animal can get on your roof and crap in your drinking water. What if it was a sick animal?

Our advice is for the protection of your family every house needs a proven system that makes your drinking water safe to drink.

90% of properties using tank water show harmful levels of bacteria in their drinking water.

Fresh great tasting water from your tank

The fresh taste of pure rainwater is great - but unfortunately the method of collection means the water can be prone to picking up E-Coli and faecal coliforms from your roof and guttering.

When we test water tanks, we find over 90% fail to meet NZ drinking water standards, i.e. they have high levels of faecal coliforms and e-coli in their drinking water. These contaminates come from birds or possum excreta.

Benefits of ultra violet sterilisation:

• Safe technology
• Proven on tank water
• Removes nothing from the water (such as minerals & salts)
• Uses no chemicals to perform sanitisation
• Cost effective (relatively low start up costs)
• Trouble free (assuming we carry out annual maintenance)
• Gives you peace of mind and safety for your water supply

Follow this link to find more on how ultraviolet lamps work.

But I've been on tank water for 23 years and it's never done me any harm?

That may well be the case but things change. We get older and can't resist the bugs as well as we used to. We regularly have new clients who have been sick, even in hospital with water borne bacteria and pathogens causing sickness.

Visitors especially the elderly and children or grandchildren don't have the same immune system as you do and are at higher risk. Children rarely get to play on the farm these days so don't build up such a good immune system.

And even those who are reluctant to put a UV system in often remark afterwards that they feel much less lethargic - possibly they have been fighting bugs for years.

If you want the peace of mind of knowing you are drinking Ecoli free water - call us today on 0800 787 392.

The keys to successful tank water treatment:

• Selecting the right solution
• Installation
• Servicing

Selecting the right UV filter

In most cases our standard systems will be fine, however, before we install a UV system we will always consult with you to check that it is the right solution for your needs. We offer a free onsite appraisal so we can make the correct recommendation.

UV installation

We specialise in custom installing these units, they have to be installed correctly otherwise they may fail to work properly putting your health at risk.

Our ten point installation program ensures we get the job right first time.
This includes:

• Installation
• Commissioning the unit
• Sanitising your house pipes
• Explaining and setting up service plans.

At the end of this process you have total peace of mind and know you are drinking safe purified water.

Pump boxes / housings

If we are retrofitting these units, (which is very common) we can custom build your pump box or shed as necessary to fit your new Pure Water Services system. We have professional carpenters on staff to take care of this for you and it means we can get the installation all completed at the same time.

UV servicing

To keep the UV sterilisation working efficiently, the equipment needs to be serviced regularly. The UV lamps dim over time and become less effective at their job and must be serviced annually, sometime more frequently. This is really important other wise you will not be protected against risk of sickness.

We maintain a database of all or clients and the systems we have installed and will contact you to arrange a time for the service when it falls due. We regularly service, maintain and carry out precision tune ups on a range of Ultra Violet lamps.

If you are not one of our clients at present, we regularly service, maintain and carry out precision tune ups on a range of Ultra Violet lamps from other suppliers. We can service Sterilight, Germicidal light, Steriflow, Wyckomar, Rcan and other UV's. We have relationships with all the main suppliers so we can get the parts required for servicing. So give us a ring on 0800 787 392 and we can visit your place and best advise you on what maintenance is required.

How does an ultraviolet system work?

The water from the tank is pumped through a couple of filters to remove particulate matter that has been washed into the tank, insects, leaves and pollen.

The water then passes through a clear tube and is irradiated by the ultraviolet light. The UV light affects the strands of DNA in the virus or bacteria and make it unable to reproduce and therefore unable to form infectious colonies which would make you sick. Without the need to add chemicals that could be harmful or affect the taste, the water is sterilised and safe.

Follow this link for a more technical overview of how ultraviolet works.

Water testing for tank water users

We conduct onsite water testing for e-coli and faecal bacteria in water tanks. Take the worry out of your tank water and know what it contains! ."Total peace of mind and safety" is what we are all after. Please ring 0800 PURE WATER or 0800 787 392 to arrange this or send us an email via the form at the top right of this page. If you don't have a water filter then YOU are the water filter.

UV filter types

1. Our standard whole house package 2-3 bathrooms.
2. Our large home/ multiple dwellings package 4-8 bathrooms
3. Commercial applications - new models to meet the new NZ Drinking water standards 2006.

Our standard whole house package 2-3 bathrooms

Our Ultra Violet package for the whole house treatment has a 57 litre per minute flow rate. It is matched with 65 l/min 10” jumbo housings and filters. We always have a 20 micron pre-filter followed by a 1 micron sediment filter before the water passes through the ultra violet light chamber. These units always go after the pump, straight on the main line as it enters the house.

All water entering the home will be treated to ensure every tap throughout delivers safeguarded water for all uses.

We specialise in custom installing these units, they have to be installed correctly otherwise they may fail to work properly putting your health at risk.

We use Sterilight UV S12Q-P and 2 x 10” jumbo housings in our packages. We can custom build systems to work for you eg. If you are on gravity feed, or you only want 1 filter.

Click for full specifications of our standard UV whole house package.

Our large home / multiple dwellings / commercial package 4-8 bathrooms

Our Ultra Violet package for multiple dwellings or commercial applications has a 160 litre per minute flow rate. It is matched with 160 l/min 20” jumbo housings and filters. We always have a 5 micron pre-filter followed by a 1 micron sediment filter before the water passes through the ultra violet light chamber.

We have successfully installed these in commercial operations and also in many cases of multiple dwellings using the same water source. When used in this way they are very effective and often work out more economical to maintain and service. All water entering the properties will be treated to ensure every tap throughout delivers safeguarded water for all uses. We use a Sterilight platinum UV SP740-HO/2A and 2 x 20” jumbo housings in our packages. We can custom build systems to work for you eg. If you are on gravity feed, or you only want 1 filter. Click for a full specifications of our large UV water treatment system.

Commercial applications

To meet the new NZ drinking water standards 2006, which effect everyone, especially schools, cafes, restaurants, small communities etc, we have introduced some new ultra violet products.

The drinking water standards say that the UV must be monitored and have a sensor. With these new units which are fully monitored and measure UV transmission we can connect them to a solenoid valve. The solenoid valve will shut off the water if the UV transmission drops below certain levels.

This prevents unsafe water ever reaching the drinking taps of any public place. By having a shut down facility means we can be called on site to sort out the problem exactly as it occurs not weeks later.

We custom build systems to fully comply with New Zealand drinking water standards. We are really good at this - give us a ring on 0800 787 392 and get us involved and do it right the first time.

Surface / Spring water supplies

Creeks, rivers, and springs are subject to birds and animals. All these source waters are particularly vulnerable to bacteria breeding in the organic material. Often these sources are high in Turbidity (cloudy) and the UV will not work very effectively (as the light can't shine through cloudy water). As this turbidity can change rapidly i.e. Every time it rains, UV technology may not be the best solution. We recommend you also have a look at our Homespring technology as this maybe more suitable for your water supply.

If you're not sure ring us on 0800 787 392, we're happy to help.

Frequently asked questions about ultra violet lamps

Who needs an Ultra Violet water treatment system?
Do I treat the whole house or just one tap?
What brands do you retail and service?
What brands do you retail and service?
Why choose R-Can UV?
What is ultraviolet (UV) light?
How does UV work?
Why not use chlorine?
Is pre-treatment of my water required for a UV system to work?
How do I know what size of UV unit to buy?
Does a UV system consume a lot of energy?
How often would I have to change the UV lamp?
What kind of warranty does R-Can offer?

Who needs an Ultra Violet water treatment system?
Everyone. Yes, everyone who is on tank water in New Zealand should have some sort of water treatment that removes or sterilizes bacteria in their tank water. One day soon this will be compulsory and for good reason. At the moment it is a recommendation on each new house built.

In the right conditions bacteria in your tank an multiply into the millions in less than 24hrs, we have seen it happen.
To find out the right conditions contact us via the form at the top right of this page. 

Do I treat the whole house or just one tap?
We recommend using UV for whole house treatment. If you where after a single tap solution we recommend you see our E-coli Eliminator system as this is the best for single tap use on tank water. We can do Ultra Violet systems for single tap use but prefer not to. Please ring us on 0800 787 392 to discuss why.

It makes sense to treat all the water in your home. Then it doesn't matter which tap you brush your teeth from or if your grandson picks up the garden hose and drinks from it!

"Total peace of mind and safety is what lets us sleep at night!"

What brands do you retail and service?
We can supply and install a range of Ultra Violet technologies from different leading New Zealand suppliers. We prefer however to supply and install sterilight UV's made by a Canadian company R-Can Environmental.

We have had an excellent run with these UV's and they work very well in New Zealand conditions. They are a proven and tested leader in their field and their UV's are used worldwide.

Why choose R-Can UV?
Install a R-Can UV sterilising system and you no longer have to be concerned about waterborne pathogenic organisms causing illness or contaminating production processes. The R-Can systems kill bacteria, viruses and other pathogens by preventing them from reproducing. The result? Safe drinking water.

Disinfecting your drinking water with ultraviolet light (UV) makes good sense. It's exceptionally effective, environmentally safe, and well proven. Not only is it safe and highly effective, UV does not change the taste, colour or odour of water. It simply removes the risk of illness caused by microbial contamination making water safe to drink or use commercially.

What is ultraviolet (UV) light?
UV light is part of the electromagnetic spectrum, shining at a specific wavelength. All light is given off at different wavelengths. For example if you see a rainbow, you will notice that the colours are always in a specific order from red all the way to blue. You are able to see each colour due to their individual wavelength. These wavelengths are part of the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

UV light is at a wavelength of 254nm (nanometers), and is not visible to the naked eye. This portion of the electromagnetic spectrum is termed UV-C light or a germicidal wavelength. At this 254nm microorganisms undergo a genetic alteration which ultimately results in inactivation. Below is a representation of the electrospectrum:

Ultraviolet light exists at the invisible, violet end of the light spectrum. Although we can't see UV light, we are exposed to a small amount every time we walk out into the sun. The water treatment industry uses special lamps that emit UV light of a particular wavelength in order to disinfect water.

How does UV work?
UV does not kill micro organisms like chlorine does, but instead UV inactivates them. UV light at a specific wavelength of 254 nm is readily absorbed by the genetic material of micro organisms. The DNA strand is coded with a specific sequence of something called base pairs. The sequence of these base pairs codes for certain characteristics. UV light at 254 nm is readily absorbed at the point on the microorganism's DNA strand which codes for reproduction. A microorganism that cannot reproduce, cannot make colonies and therefore cannot infect when consumed.

In other words, the microorganisms have been sterilized or neutered. They will eventually die off.

The picture on the right shows a DNA strand of a microorganism. You can see where the UV light is absorbed and how a blockage is formed, causing the microorganism to become sterile.

UV rays penetrate into bacteria and viruses and destroy their ability to function and reproduce. The process is simple but effective: Our systems destroy 99.99 per cent of harmful micro organisms without adding chemicals or changing your water's taste or odour.

Why not use chlorine?
Many people object to the taste and smell of chlorinated water. But more importantly, chlorine reacts with certain compounds that may be present in the water supply, resulting in by-products that have been linked to cancer (such as trihalomethanes, or THM's). UV light does not produce harmful chemicals in drinking water. It's safe, effective and environmentally friendly.

Is pre-treatment of my water required for a UV system to work?
Yes normally two filters are required a 1 & 20 micron filter. They should be installed upstream of any UV system so as to eliminate any particles large enough to block the UV light. The UV system should always be installed downstream of any other water treatment equipment. Ultimately, the quality of your water will determine if additional pre-treatment is required.

Chemicals such as iron and calcium carbonate can form deposits on the UV lamp's protective sleeve, reducing the light that can penetrate the water. Water softeners and iron removal systems are sometimes required.

Chemicals such as iron, tannins and humic acid are able to absorb UV light and thus reduce the amount available for disinfection. After performing a simple test to measure your water's UV transmittance, we can recommend treatment devices to suit your water supply.

How do I know what size of UV unit to buy?
You can treat the water for your whole home or just the drinking water from one tap. If you draw on a private water supply such as tank water, it is recommended that you treat the water for your entire home. We can advise you on what size, ring us on 0800 787 392.

Does a UV system consume a lot of energy?
No, a UV system able to treat the water for a typical house will consume about the same amount of energy as a 60-watt light bulb. UV is a cost-effective, natural way to increase water quality.

How often would I have to change the UV lamp?
It is essential that you change the UV lamp once a year. UV lamps, light bulbs, will dim with age and eventually burn out. R-Can designs its UV units to generate the necessary UV light intensity at the end of one year's continuous use. The lamp will continue to burn long after, but it will not generate an adequate amount of UV light.

What kind of warranty does R-Can offer?
A quality product comes with a superior warranty, and the R-Can UV is certainly a quality product. That's why it comes with a seven year warranty on reactor chamber, Five year pro-rata warranty on ballast and a one year pro-rata replacement on UV lamp. 

Talk to us now about your UV filter requirements on 0800 787 392 or send us an email via the contact form at the top right of this page.