How FreshPure Waters Removes Viruses

Mar 12, 2020 | In the News, Water & Health, Water & Safety

How FreshPure Waters Removes Viruses

By: Heather Vaughan, L.Ac, MSOM, C.Ay, CYT

At FreshPure® Waters, we strive to make the best water you can drink. This means it has to go through a rigorous filtration and sanitization process that removes a wide breadth of potential contaminants including viruses. The Center for Disease Control recommends Reverse Osmosis and a high intensity Ultraviolet light as extremely effective ways to make sure water is free from viruses, bacteria, and parasites. FreshPure® Waters uses both. The effectiveness of both these methods, however, depends on how well they are working. For that reason, our Field Technicians test the water and sanitize the water dispenser every 7-10 days at each location. We take no chances. Here’s a breakdown of why and how FreshPure Waters removes viruses.

Step 1: EPA Approved Municipal Water

Our water starts with already safe-to-drink, EPA-approved water that goes through rigorous disinfection. Chemicals like chlorine get a bad rap for their taste and health risks of long-term exposure, but they are a major protection of public health. In fact, a recent article from the Center for Disease Control states, “The COVID-19 virus has not been detected in drinking water. Conventional water treatment methods that use filtration and disinfection, such as those in most municipal drinking water systems, should remove or inactivate the virus that causes COVID-19.”  The FreshPure® filtration system then removes any chlorine and disinfectant byproducts that remain in the water supply after their important job is done, improving taste and ensuring our customers avoid health risks of chronic chlorine exposure.

Step 2: Reverse Osmosis

FreshPure® Waters uses a high quality Reverse Osmosis membrane to filter our water. The CDC states that Reverse Osmosis Systems have a “very high effectiveness in removing:

  • Viruses (for example, Enteric, Hepatitis A, Norovirus, Rotavirus)
  • Protozoa (for example, Cryptosporidium, Giardia)
  • Bacteria (for example, Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli)”

Why? Reverse Osmosis technology is a process that passes water through pores of a semi-permeable membrane. The pores of a FreshPure® reverse osmosis membrane are .0001 (1/10,000th) micron, which is far smaller than the particle size range (“0.004 to 0.1 microns”) of viruses. The chart below gives a visual understanding of size difference between reverse osmosis pores, viruses, and other common materials.

Step 2: Ultraviolet Light

The Water Quality Association (WQA) and CDC both report that Ultraviolet disinfection is effective for killing microbes with a bonus: it does so without using harmful chemicals. That’s why the UV lamp is the last step and considered our final precaution- the chance of any microorganisms getting through the Reverse Osmosis membrane to this final stage are extremely low.

“The UV disinfection method, which does not involve chemicals, has long been popular for commercial use, but is becoming more common in homes. UV systems expose water to light at just the right wavelength for killing microbes. It’s a way to kill bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoans, and cysts that may be present in the water.”

-Water Quality Association

So, how does Ultraviolet light kill microorganisms? We spoke to the Production Manager here at FreshPure® Waters to find out. “Ultraviolet light is highly effective at killing bacteria and viruses by destroying the molecular bonds that hold their DNA together. FreshPure® Waters uses a broad-spectrum germicidal ultraviolet light (wavelength spectrum: 200-400 nanometers). Our UV lamp operates at 254nm wavelength,” (Treat, T. March 4, 2020) placing it within the effective range.

Step 3: Routine Sterilization

Clean, safe, delicious water takes excellent, frequent maintenance. Our Field Technicians visit stores every 7-10 days to test, deep clean, and sanitize our systems, ensuring safety and cleanliness at all times. A cleaning and maintenance record is always available for your inspection at each FreshPure® Waters location.

Call us!

Our phone number (1-800-471-5200) is on the dispenser, website, and brochure, so if you notice anything that needs attention at one of our locations, please don’t hesitate to call us right away. The more we hear from you, the faster we can take care of any potential issues that arise. Thanks for reading!