Any company that uses sterile processing equipment understands the importance of water quality to their overall operation. At Secondwind, we work with several businesses that require high purity water for their sterilization systems.
High Purity Water for Hospitals, Outpatient Clinics, Dentists, and Veterinarians
Hospitals, outpatient clinics, dentists, and veterinary offices all use sterilized medical tools and equipment to protect the health and safety of their patients. Those businesses who sterilize their tools and equipment onsite with an autoclave system need high purity water: water that is free of total dissolved solids (including calcium, magnesium, sodium, chlorides, and small amounts of dissolved organic matter).
Autoclaves used in sterilization applications can cost thousands of dollars. If untreated water runs through an autoclave, mineral scale will buildup inside the system, causing damage to both the equipment and the tools it sterilizes. “This kind of damage can also compromise the sterilization process, putting patients’ health and safety at risk,” says Steve Guercia, Manager of Commercial Services at Secondwind Water Systems. For this reason, autoclave manufacturers have very specific water purity requirements. “If a healthcare facility doesn’t comply with a manufacturer’s water specs, there’s no guarantee the sterilization process will work,” Guercia adds.
Treating for High Purity Water
In our 30 years of serving New Hampshire’s residential and commercial water treatment needs, we’ve become experts in treating water used in sterile applications. How does a company get the high purity water they need? It depends on the quality of the water they’re starting with. “We might use a carbon filter to remove chemicals and chlorine, and a water softener to remove any manganese or hardness,” Guercia points out. A reverse osmosis system would likely remove 95 to 98% of all the minerals. The remaining solids would be removed with DI (deionization) mixed bed exchange tanks.
Providing High Purity Water to a Local Hospital
Secondwind recently installed a water treatment system at a local hospital. The system provided high purity water needed to sterilize thousands of medical tools used at multiple locations throughout the facility. We installed a carbon filter and reverse osmosis (RO) and DI exchange tanks. Because the hospital is on city water, there was no need to install a water softener.
“Every high purity water treatment system we install is going to be a little different. It is designed around the existing water quality and specific needs of the customer,” Guercia explains.
Pictures from top to bottom: Carbon, RO, DI, and UV for a local hospital; Carbon, RO, and mineral balance for large dental office; Carbon and small RO for small dental office
Servicing High Purity Water Treatment Systems
Frequently, the mechanical contractors who install high purity water treatment systems in healthcare facilities aren’t experienced in servicing them. “While we do install these specialized systems, many of our customers come to us because they need someone with the specialized knowledge required to service them. We’re happy to service your high purity water treatment system–even if we didn’t install it for you,” he points out.
Water Testing and Treatment for Sterile Applications in NH
If your high purity water treatment system needs servicing or you have questions about the purity of the water used in your sterile processing, give us a call at (603) 641-5767 or visit us online. We’re happy to come out and provide you with a FREE site analysis.
