Purification through
Ionization
The, on Bang Tao
Bay
on the island of Phuket, Thailand,
features one of Asia's largest
swimming pools. The nearly two million
liters of water that fill the swimming areas, dive pool, and spa pools
are kept
clear of bacteria and algae by means of an ionization system that
reduces the
use of chlorine.
The electronic water purification system was installed at the hotel by
Waterman
Environmental Systems based in Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia.
The system consists of four chambers housing pairs of silver/copper
alloy
electrodes, and two industrial-model control units that emit a variable
direct
current. A stream of charged ions flows through the water. The copper
ions
break through cell walls, so that the silver ions can penetrate the
microorganisms and kill them. This technique is equally effective
against
bacteria, yeast, molds, algae, and fungi.
The major benefit of the water purification system is that it reduces
the need
for chlorine by 75 percent. The avoided cost of chlorine means that the
system
at Laguna Beach
will pay for itself in about 15 months, according to James Moloney,
managing
director of Waterman Environmental Systems. The ionization system is
self-cleaning, reducing maintenance, which is an operating concern of
ionization systems in general, said Moloney.
The Sunway Lagoon Hotel in
Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, the Mandarin Oriental Hotel
in Kuala Lumpur, the Horison Hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam, and the Royal
Free
Hospital in London all use ionization systems to disinfect their water
supplies
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