Laguna Beach Resort Hotel


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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