07-07-2007, 08:15 PM
Back in CA, we had an ozone system on our well system. Interestingly, it works with a UV light, too. The exposure of air to the UV light produces ozone molecules, O3 (superscript on the 3), which are also unstable like H2O2. The ozone is pumped into the holding tank and would settle down into O2 molecules, bubbling back into the storage tank through a diffuser in a filter. That killed bacteria in the storage tank. This method of bubbling of O2 into the water to purify, BTW, is how Mom Nature does it with aeration in a mountain stream. Except nowadays, in the Sierras, e.g., there's giardia which apparently isn't killed by the aeration.
I asked the company whose product we used in CA about ozonation in a catchment system. They didn't think it would be as effective because of the varying volume of water that many catchment tanks are likely to have. In our well system, floating limit switches kept our holding tank at a fairly constant volume. Also, supposedly, the turbidity of water in a catchment tank will reduce the effectiveness of ozonation. However, I don't quite understand how that would come into play. The UV treatment in most Island catchment systems is placed after the filters, and water passing through the UV light is fairly clear at that point. So, UV treatment is very effective. Since an ozone system works by infusing ozone into the water, I don't think turbidity would be a factor.
Edit: I realized that the ozone was created by exposing air to the UV light, not water.
Edited by - Les C on 07/09/2007 12:20:26
I asked the company whose product we used in CA about ozonation in a catchment system. They didn't think it would be as effective because of the varying volume of water that many catchment tanks are likely to have. In our well system, floating limit switches kept our holding tank at a fairly constant volume. Also, supposedly, the turbidity of water in a catchment tank will reduce the effectiveness of ozonation. However, I don't quite understand how that would come into play. The UV treatment in most Island catchment systems is placed after the filters, and water passing through the UV light is fairly clear at that point. So, UV treatment is very effective. Since an ozone system works by infusing ozone into the water, I don't think turbidity would be a factor.
Edit: I realized that the ozone was created by exposing air to the UV light, not water.
Edited by - Les C on 07/09/2007 12:20:26