Water is in many ways the lifeblood that keeps a building going; everything from the HVAC system to the toilets relies on water. In order to ensure that the water in your building is safe and doing its job, it is important to consider water treatment as part of maintenance. Even water that is not used for drinking can still benefit from being treated.
Water treatment is not just about removing contaminants and suspended solids from water. In fact, treated water and systems built around high-quality water infrastructure will ensure that pipes and other equipment last longer. Over the long term, this saves any building owner money in both repairs and management, in addition to the peace of mind that comes with knowing that the water system will be functioning for years to come. Water treatment is worth the initial effort.
Ensuring Clean Potable Water
Potable water—or water that is safe for human consumption—is likely the area that comes to mind first when considering water treatment. Everything from the temperature of the water to the pH will influence how safe water is to drink, and on-site water treatment by a professional will correct these issues and ensure that safe drinking water comes out of every tap.
What a building is used for plays a large role in how to ensure clean potable water. Hospitals and homes that may have elderly or very young people may want to turn the maximum temperature of their potable water down. However, Legionella organisms can grow at temperatures below 50 degrees Celsius, so owners must consider a number of variables.
Filtering Wastewater Using Process Water
For buildings like manufacturing plants that produce wastewater, it is important to abide by local and state regulations for water safety. Process water, or water that is not safe for drinking, can be used as part of the water treatment system for wastewater. Pathogens, pollutants, and even pieces of metal often make up wastewater and need to be removed.
In order to do this, most water treatment systems will serve a number of purposes. First, they will use a clarifier to collect and settle any solids that are suspended in the water so that they do not leave the building. Then, a chemical feed may assist in grabbing more of the suspended solids that were not caught by the clarifier; usually any remaining solids are relatively small. Because of their miniscule size, the chemical feed causes them to coagulate or precipitate so that the system can capture them and get them out of the water.
Next, a filtration system will catch any remaining dregs of suspended solids. How much filtration a building needs will be determined by local regulations. A final pH adjustment will help to ensure that the water is acidic as appropriate, and depending on the business, some post-treatment processes may also begin at this point.
This system is made up of many moving parts, so a control panel may be necessary. If your building needs a control panel in order to manage all the water and filtration systems, a water treatment specialist will be able to help install it and provide guidance on how to use and manage it. Any customized features unique to your building will also come as part of this consultation with a professional.
Monitoring with Digital Equipment
Digital equipment is becoming more common in water treatment for buildings, both in the hands of professionals and as part of the continued maintenance of the system by the building’s owner. Thanks to technological advances in the field, digital tools can now streamline the water treatment process across multiple phases of the system.
For example, boilers and cooling towers can automatically read water temperature and make adjustments in real time. Similarly, many producers have apps that correspond to their equipment, and this makes keeping track of water treatment simpler than ever. Cloud-based water treatment management software allows for remote monitoring, process automation, and even access to helpful data so that business owners and professionals can determine how effective current water treatment plans are and consider improvements.
Partner with Clean Water Providers
Tower Water is a leader in the field of water treatment, ensuring that clean water is available to any building. Whether the issue is coming up with a plan for new construction, handling waste and process water, or simply providing water evaluation and options for green services, Tower Water has experts who can help.
Water treatment will pay for itself quickly and is worth the initial time taken to implement it. Not only will it provide healthier water for those drinking it, but it will also prolong the life of pipes and infrastructure to save building owners money for years. Get in touch for an evaluation of what types of water treatment would work best for you.