Water Filtration

I suspect you mean 4.5" diameter by 10" cartridge filters. To service three houses and treat all water but drinking/cooking, they may need changing very frequently; like once a week or sooner. A correctly sized for the flow rate automatic backwashed multi medium (turbidity) filter. Carbon is not a good choice. Bacteria thrive in carbon.

Bathing... if that includes baths, especially for females, you should look into some sort of disinfection equipment. A Class A UV may be a good choice.

Water Filtration
Hi Garry thanks for your reply, that is very helpful.

Can you recommend sizes and makes for the Turbidity filter and UV please?

One of the three properties (our cottage-two people) will be occupied all the time, while the other two are holiday lets.
The holiday lets have a total of eight bedrooms, but will not be occupied all the time.

Gary, would it be prudent to have one Turbidity filter for the whole system and an individual UV unit for each property?



One of the manufacturers I contacted also recommended fitting a softener! I thought it was as soft as you can get.

Thanks again.

Dermot

Where to place the equipment depends on a number of things but if possible, the filtration would probably be best done on the outlet of the cistern. The UV light(s) would be best at the cottages but... if there are more than one, chlorination at the cistern would probably be best and the government may insist on that.

The size of the equipment will be based on the peak demand gpm flow out of the cistern for the max number of 'lets' possible. Bedrooms and the number of people don't count, bathrooms and other water using fixtures do.

That I'm not going to be able to help you with, someone that knows how in the UK will have to go over your site info as to the maximum water use in gpm for the three buildings.

A softener would be a nice addition, the majority of people love softened water, but only look into that if the water is hard. Hard would be 3-4 gpg or more.

You need a water analysis of the cistern water for hardness, pH and turbidity at least. And if you use chlorination or another disinfectant, a UV at the cottage would still be a good idea.

Water Fltration
Hi Gary,

thanks for the reply once again.

Gary, I am probably showing my ignorance but I thought rainwater by it's very nature is soft?

The 'tap' water in our area is 'Hard' and we have used a softener for this.

We do have an 'old' covered well in our garden, that would have provided all the our cottage water before 'mains' water came along.

This has an hand pump only at the moment.
Several years ago, I had the water tested by my Father in-law, who is an analytical Chemist. Unfortunately he is now retired.

The results revealed that the well water is drinking quality and "slightly carbonated; very pleasant to drink"

I had planned to install an submersible pump in the well, in order to 'top up' the rainwater system if necessary. This water will definitely be 'Hard'.

I am not sure how much water the Well could supply.
Do you think this would be a good use for the well water Gary?
Should I plan to use it in a different way?

As far as chlorination of the Rainwater tank goes; I am slightly reticent to add chlorine as we use it for the veg garden and animal water on our small holding.
It may be that the chlorine level would be too low to have any effect?

Thanks again for all your help Gary.

Regards Dermot

Yes rain water isn't hard but it can have a low pH and if it is stored in a concrete cistern, that can cause hardness to be added to the water.

I am not familiar with regs in the UK but in the US, you might have to have a number of tests done on both waters and they would have to pass the criteria required for public use. If so, then certain follow up tests are required every 3 months.

To my knowledge, chlorinated water rarely has a negative impact on outdoor plants. Due to aeration and depressurization, the chlorine starts to dissipate as soon as the water exits the faucet or the end of the garden hose. You may want to check on the effects of using chlorinated water to water plants.

Water Filtration
Hi Gary,

once again, thanks for the benefit of your wisdom.

The tank is a 13,500 litre Polyethylene unit so hardness should only occur if I top it up with well water.

I will do some more research on plants and chlorination.

Gary, I would presume that the tank can easily chlorinated, using some form of suspended tablet arrangement?

This presumably would be much cheaper than UV units?

My gut feeling would be to provide unfiltered water for plants/animals and only to use filtration/UV units where necessary. Although I would suspect this may be the more expensive option?

Cheers

Dermot

A suspended tablet type of chlorination such as used in a swimming pool, is not very controllable as to the volume of chlorine added, you need flexible control so you can get the chlorine right; .2 to 1 ppm of Free chlorine residual but... You do not want to use most pool chlorine for 'potable' water use.

Since there is no way I know of to control chlorination of rain water as it enters a cistern, you should chlorinate the water as it leaves the tank and is used.

Maintenance of the tank would require periodic cleaning and sanitizing/disinfection and that can be difficult depending on the construction of the tank and yer girth fitting through the hole in the top of it....

Water Filtration
Thanks again Gary!

Do you know anything about the 'Aquacore' as advertised on this page?

Cheers

Dermot

Sorry I don't know the name and can't see the ad.

Water Filtration
Hi Gary,

http://www.aqualab.ie/index.htm?gclid=CNjZubOXlo8CFQtPMAodTltfVw

Dermot

That is the GE Homespring unit, possibly under a different name, or the brand name sold in the UK.

In the US it requires annual maintenance by a certified dealer. I've only heard from one person that had one so I don't know much more about it except they are pricey and use a fair amount of water although I can't recall how many gallons to backwash the membrane.

IMO the technology is way ahead of peoples' desire to embrace it and, really it's dealers acceptance that is not going to happen until the price comes down substantially. And that probably won't happen until dealers accept it. GE is going to have to sweeten the pot a bunch or main stream dealers will not accept it. Personally I don't like the way GE dictates to dealers rather than works with them. But that may be just me but I don't see many dealers offering it or any ads about it; that's GE's Homespring. I may be wrong and more dealers are selling it than I think, I don't get industry magazines anymore. And GE didn't invent/develop it, they bought the company that did. You could say I am not a fan of GE's efforts in the water treatment industry.

Gary is mistaken here, a bit. That is not the HomeSpring unit by GE, Maytag, or Zenon.
Although Aquacore is a nanofiltration membrane device is works differently than the GE model.

The Aquacore is an inside-ouit type membrane whereby the the untreated water comes down into to membranes tube and pusshes permeate water out through them. The GE model is an outside in type where the water enters the housing and is forced into the tubular membranes. I prefer this style to the inside out type, but not confident which actually works more efficiently.

As far as maintence is concerned, there is an integrity test that can be given but not aware of it having to be made by a certified dealer. Not sure where that infor came from. There is a tool to conduct this test and it is not usually included in the sale of the unit.

Again, this item illustrated is not produced by GE, Maytag or Zenon.

Andy Christensen, CWS-II

I had said: Sorry I don't know the name and can't see the ad. in my previous post, then he posted a link.

I had trouble with the link then and I did again just now, something about a server problem but... what I see now is noting like the GE model. It is totally different in all ways including its looks and type of construction.

Andy, check with GE and you'll find I'm right on the 'certified' sales and the dealers' annual inspection requirement.

Let's get back to the topic at hand.

There is a growing need for cisterns here in the states.
The south eastern 1/4 of the country is drying up and people
are looking for ways to capture H2O for all sorts of needs.

Now if we could just get it to rain . . .

A "HOW TO" thread may be in order.

Sorry, That was an 'ultrafiltration' unit not a 'nanofiltration'. Mia culpa!

DUH! "to capture H2O"? When it ain't raining and the streams and lakes are drying up, tell us, what do they expect to capture H2O from?

And... just how IYDAO does that get back to the topic of this thread concerning water filtration in the UK?

Do you know how to start a new thread?

You are worthless as usual - no help at all

At yet I know there isn't any H2O to "capture".

And I'm not the one wanting to talk about starting a new thread as if I don't know how, or wanting to sell cisterns when you should be looking for a well drilling rig. You do know what that is right?

You continue to prove that you just don't care.