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Here we discuss using UV light treatment systems to address bacterial contamination in drinking water or well water - one of the options for correcting unsanitary or unsatisfactory drinking water. This series of articles explains many common water contamination tests for bacteria and other contaminants in water samples.

We describe what to do about contaminated water, listing common corrective measures when water test results are unsatisfactory. We include water testing and water correction measures warnings for home owners and especially for home buyers when certain conditions are encountered, with advice about what to do when these circumstances are encountered. Also see DRINKING WATER PURIFICATION for a discussion of various methods used to purify emergency drinking water.

© 2009 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

UV - Ultraviolet light as a Water Purifier - Installation, Inspection & Maintenance Guidelines for UV Water Treatment Systems

UV water treatment systems combine a

• water disinfection chamber (a quartz tube or quartz sleeve that contains an ultraviolet light and keeps the bulb physically separated from the water),
• quartz UV light bulb that kills bacteria in water as water passes past the light source
• electrical and plumbing connections that provide electrical power to the bulb, allow water to pass through the unit, and include shutoff and drain valves for the equipment. The shutoff valves make unit cleaning and maintenance easier.
• optional controls to sound an alarm or stop water flow if the UV system stops working

For the UV treatment system illustrated in most of the photographs in this article, we installed a Siemens Ultraviolet Water Disinfection System (formerly produced under the name Sunlight systems) shown in the photograph at left.

The UV disinfection system is installed either in a kitchen or point of use, or when protecting a whole building it is installed where water leaves the well pump and pressure tank and enters the building, so that water flowing through the disinfection system is exposed to a UV lamp to carry out the water disinfection process.

The "UV" light can indeed kill bacteria in water, provided that the flow rate of water through the device is not too fast (needs exposure time) and provided that the water is not too obstructed with sediment and provided that the light source is cleaned - the bulb needs to be changed periodically.

Proper UV Disinfection System Installation: How do we know the UV light is properly installed and effective in treating drinking water?

If you are relying on a UV light to treat bacterial contamination in drinking water these considerations apply:

• Proper UV light selection for water treatment: The UV light must have been properly selected to handle the volume and flow rate of the water supply where it is installed. If ultra violet light is not of sufficient capacity to treat water flowing past its bulb it will not be effective.
  
• The UV light water treatment system must be properly installed - at the right location in the water system;
• Sanitize the building water tank & piping: 13 Steps to Disinfect building piping: the UV disinfection system manufacturer may also recommend that the building's water piping be disinfected after the light has been installed. We accomplished this process for the installation shown here as follows:
  • Turn off electrical power to the UV light disinfection system.
  • Turn off water at the point of entry into the whole house water filter; leave the water filter bypass loop closed as well.
  • Drain building piping: connect a garden hose to the UV disinfection system drain or another convenient piping drain point, and drain water out of the building piping.
  • Remove the whole house filter canister and set the filter aside on a clean surface (paper towels are fine).
  • Fill the water filter canister with bleach solution;
  • Replace the bleach-filled canister onto its mount
  • Turn on water: Slowly open the water supply into the bleach-filled canister and into the building, first making sure that building faucets have been turned OFF. This will send disinfecting bleach-water mix into the building piping. (An accurate measure length of time that bleach-solution needs to be in contact with a surface to disinfect it is a function of the strength of the solution.)
  
  • Fill building piping with bleach solution: By opening building faucets (photo above, right), re-fill the UV disinfection device and house piping with the bleach solution. We used chlorine test strips (photo at left) to confirm that we had adequate bleach solution in the piping by testing at each faucet. The right-hand square shows the chlorine concentration between 4.0 and 10.0 ppm in this sample. The other color squares report on water pH, alkalinity, hardness, etc.
    
    A low-tech method often used is to run water at each fixture until you smell bleach, then turn the fixture off.
  • Replace water filter cartridge: Turn off water at the point of entry to the whole house water filter, remove the water filter canister and replace the filter cartridge. We add a few ounces of bleach again into the canister to disinfect the filter cartridge after touching it, then we flush this water out of the system as described below.
  • Disinfection time: Allow the bleach solution to remain in the piping for 24-hours.
• Turn on electrical power to the UV light disinfection system
• Thoroughly flush out bleach from the system before using the water supply. Run water at least until there is no bleach odor at any faucet.
• SAFETY WARNING: Failure to flush out all disinfecting bleach from building water piping is dangerous - drinking bleach is poisonous and can be fatal; leaving even a small amount of bleach in the building piping can result in accidental bleaching of the next laundry load, and it could accidentally subvert a follow-up bacteria test. See CHEATING on WATER TESTS.
• The water flow rate must match the UV light specifications - the manufacturer of the UV light for water treatment will specify the maximum permitted water flow rate through the light fixture. If water flow rate exceeds that number (7 gpm, for example), the light might not be fully effective in killing all bacteria in the water. (This risk is higher if the starting bacteria count was high.) The UV light kit will probably include a flow control device (or one is purchased at a local plumbing supplier) that is installed at the inlet side of the fixture - a small disc that is inserted into the plumbing connection on the light fixture.
• The UV light water treatment system must be properly maintained - follow the manufacturer's instructions for periodic inspection and maintenance. If the bulb becomes dirty or is in fact not operating (burned out) it may not be obvious without inspecting the unit. Do not touch the UV light bulb glass surface when installing a new bulb. Oils from your fingers may cause damage to the bulb. We discuss UV disinfection system maintenance and detail below at Maintenance Instructions.
• A whole house filter may be necessary or recommended by the installing plumber. When a UV-light water treatment system is installed on a water supply that contains high levels of sediment or iron, those particles can settle on the UV bulb surface, ultimately blocking light and interfering with the UV water treatment system's effectiveness. A whole house filter can protect the Ultra Violet Light bulb from debris clouding. For the UV treatment system illustrated in most of the photographs in this article, we installed an Aqua-Pure whole house filter. Also see Advice for Water Testing after UV Installation
• Automatic shutoff valve on UV disinfection systems: some UV light disinfection systems include a "normally closed" solenoid switch. This switch will "open" or turn off the water flow in the building if the UV lamp burns out or if the UV intensity fails. This switch will also stop water flow during a power failure. (At a home with a private well and well pump, a power failure will also stop the well pump from running anyway.) Some UV solenoid switches include a manual override (look for a white toggle switch on Siemens units) that can be used in emergency to deliver water even though the disinfection system has stopped working. If the UV solenoid switch turns off the water supply (other than during a power failure) you will need to determine and correct the problem:
  • There may have been a power failure
  • The UV lamp may have burned out
  • The UV lamp intensity may have fallen too low
  • The solenoid switch itself may have been damaged
  • See No Water Pressure for a detailed procedure for diagnosing loss of water pressure, since there are other possible causes of that problem.

Maintenance Instructions for UV Light Disinfection Systems

• How to tell if the UV light is on: even with the cover installed, on some UV disinfection systems you may see a small amount of purple or violet light shining on a nearby wall or leaking out of the cover (photo above-left). Removing the cover on a UV unit will show the light more easily.
  • UV Bulb light: As we show in our photo at above-left with the UV disinfection system cover in place, look for visible UV light from the UV bulb itself. It may be necessary to loosen or remove the cover to see light from the bulb (photo above-right) but be sure to see our safety warning just below - do not look directly at the bulb and do not pull the UV bulb out of its quartz tube when power is on to the unit.
  • UV Shutoff valve: If an automatic UV disinfection system shutoff solenoid valve is installed, review our description of that device at Automatic shutoff valve above.
  • UV Indicator light: Some UV disinfection systems include a status indicator lamp or bulb: a green LED indicates that the UV lamp is on and the UV disinfection system is operating.
  • UV Audible alarm: Some UV disinfection systems include an audible alarm that sounds if the unit stops working (and provided that there has not been a power failure)
  • UV Monitoring: UV disinfection systems that include an indicator light or alarm also include circuitry that monitors the effectiveness of the bulb disinfection system. The monitor is watching the bulb output, not water purity.
• Avoid exposure to the UV light when the system is on. UV light may be difficult or impossible to see when the UV disinfection system is operating - by design. Exposure to UV light is harmful to skin and eyes. If a cover has been removed from a UV disinfection system that is operating, do not look directly into the light. Unplug the unit before installing or removing the UV lamp.
• How to tell if the UV disinfection system is working effectively: periodic water testing for bacteria is recommended when relying on a UV light to handle bacteria in the water supply. OPINION: It is uncertain how one knows that a UV light water sterilizer system is working without periodic testing and when necessary, UV bulb replacement. Furthermore, UV light treatment systems do not remove other contaminants (if any are present in the water supply, such as chemical contaminants, odors, or other problems that may be present.
• Periodic changeout of the whole house water filter cartridge will be necessary, depending on the level of sediment and debris in the water supply. If your filter becomes visibly dirty, if the building water pressure drops, or if the water pump begins rapid short-cycling on and off, a clogged water filter could be the cause. See WATER FILTERS for details.
• Periodic changeout of the UV light bulb: the manufacturer recommends that the bulb be changed annually and that the quartz sleeve is cleaned regularly. Some UV light disinfection systems include a quartz tube cleaning system that permits the owner to clean the quartz sleeve without having to disassemble the disinfection chamber. Otherwise, if the quartz sleeve becomes soiled with sediment you will need to turn off power to the unit, remove the cover, carefully remove and set aside the UV quartz bulb, shut off water to the disinfection unit, drain the unit, and remove the quartz sleeve for cleaning. Be careful not to drop the quartz sleeve - it breaks easily. If you do break the UV light disinfection system quartz sleeve, don't panic: order a new sleeve from the manufacturer. The disinfection system model and serial number are on the unit, or on its cover.

What Contaminants are Removed by a UV Light Water Treatment System

Nothing is "removed" from the drinking water, but if the system is working properly, the UV light will kill bacteria in the water supply. The dead bacteria, along with other water contaminants (if there are other contaminants in the drinking water) are not removed by the light.

OPINION: Property sellers often install this quick and least-expensive "solution" in the course of a real estate transaction in order to meet the minimum requirements of a buyer's lender to provide "potable water." Since the lending bank usually requires only a bacteria test as a measure of water potability, the new owner/residents may not know whether or not there are chemical or other contaminants in the water supply. When a UV light has been installed on a water supply, our recommendations for further diagnostic testing are outlined just below.

Look For the Source of Bacterial Contamination in a Well

Since one of the most common ways that bacteria enters a well is through a defect at the pitless adapter (joining the water pipe to the well casing) or at a buried well cap that is leaky or open. In such cases the presence of bacteria in water is really an indicator of ground water leakage into the well.

Surprisingly we have found significant non-coliform bacteria levels in well water traced to

Spiders living in the top of a well casing: the spiders eat insects, dropping flies or other insects into the well casing, a possible source of un-wanted bacteria.

Dead animals in the well? On occasion a mouse or other small rodent falls into a well casing, causing temporary contamination.

Well contamination sources such as these are easily corrected by sterilizing the well and its casing interior. See WELL CHLORINATION & SHOCKING.

Should You Test for Other Contaminants in Well Water?

If ground water or surface runoff have been leaking into a well, this means that anything that is on the ground or in the soil around the well is likely to be entering the water supply. So treating for bacteria may be failing to address other contaminants. Further testing for other contaminants would be appropriate if a well fails a bacteria test.

In particular, if the well is located at a property where chemicals are likely to have been applied nearby, such as near an orchard, farm property, animal barns or pens, or where pesticides have been in use, or close to a gas station, or where other contaminants are known to have been in local ground water, tests for those specific contaminants are a good idea.

If a property is in a residential neighborhood that has not included farms, orchards, barns, gas stations, or nearby industrial processes, the chance of finding these other contaminants in a well is certainly much less.

See WATER TESTING ADVICE for an outline of when to test for what contaminants in well water.
See WATER TESTS, CONTAMINANTS, TREATMENT for a list of articles on water contaminants and water tests.

Advice for Testing Water Systems after UV Light Installation

Often conditions cause for follow-up water testing after a UV water treatment light has been installed. For example a property owner may discover bacterial contamination in the water supply when a home is being sold. If the initial water test shows that the starting bacteria count is low - just a few CFU's/L, and if there is no reason to have concerns for other water contaminants, testing for bacteria again after the UV light has been installed is proper procedure, and should produce acceptable results.

Here are some post-UV-light installation water testing considerations:

• If the water flow rate through the UV treatment device is higher than the device manufacturer specifies, then that condition can also interfere with and reduce the effectiveness of the UV light in killing bacteria in the incoming water.
• If the installer did not install a whole house filter upstream (before) the UV light, if there is debris and sediment in the water, that material can obscure the UV bulb and interfere with its effectiveness.

What if the UV Light is Installed Without a Water Filter?

A reader recently asked for advice for a case in which the UV installer forgot to install the water filter. The water filter was to be re-installed the next day, but the homeowner had already observed a lot of debris coming out of faucets in the building after the new UV light was installed. That high level of debris may have been due to disturbances of piping and water tank during the plumbing work, or the incoming water supply might simply be high in debris and sediment.

Actually, flushing out the plumbing system before re-installing the cartridge in the water filter is not a bad idea because often during plumbing work lots of extra debris is stirred up or even introduced into the system. But the filter needs to be in place to protect the UV light from becoming obstructed.

We advised the following for this case:

If the person taking the sample fully flushes the system and piping before collecting the water test sample it is likely to "pass" with acceptable results (in most U.S. communities that's a count of less than 1 CFU/L or in a "presence/absence" test, with a result of "absent").

When we recently installed a UV light water treatment system, preceded by a whole house filter (which is important for UV effectiveness as it keeps debris off of the bulb), we also sterilized all of the house piping using the well shock procedure at WELL CHLORINATION & SHOCKING. The reasoning is that having been running a building plumbing system with bacteria in the water supply, there might be pockets of bacteria in debris trapped in the system.

In the particular case under discussion, the water test for a home buyer was planned for the day after the water filter was to be installed. Thus the home owner would not have time to go through the well shocking procedure in time for the water test.

Therefore the homeowner needs to either

• delay the test for at least a week or better two (thus making the later test most reliable and avoiding any charges of tampering after the well shock), perform the well shock procedure, and flush out and wait period (4 days minimum, longer is more reliable), then perform the water test.

OR

• perform the water test on schedule with a thorough flush-out of the building water supply piping at the test point first. As the starting bacteria level was in this case reported to be low, in this case it's likely the test will produce acceptable results.

If it does not, then go through the well shock procedure as described and things will either be just fine, or the UV system is not properly installed or not properly working.

List of Principal Methods Used to Purify Contaminated Drinking Water when Camping or in an Emergency

• Boil the water to make it suitable for drinking.
• Bleach: Use chlorine (bleach, sodium hypochlorite) to purify the water. (see warnings just above). Permanent well water chlorination systems are discussed at CHLORINATORS & CHARCOAL FILTERS.
• Chlorination: where electrical power and water pressure are present and the equipment is already installed, a chlorinator or water chlorine injection treatment system, usually combined with a charcoal filter for water treatment may be functional. See CHLORINATORS & CHARCOAL FILTERS for details.
• Giardia in Drinking Water - a review of the health hazards & typical equipment costs for portable and whole house water treatment to remove Giardia cysts from drinking water
• Iodine: Use Iodine tablets or a liquid tincture of iodine to purify the water for emergency use (see warnings just above)
• Hydrogen peroxide may be used (maybe) to purify water for emergency drinking use. [The concentration and exposure time data are still needed for this application.]
• Water purifying filters: Use a filter designed for water purification, particularly ceramic filters and silver-ceramic filters. See WATER FILTERS for a separate discussion of home water filters used for sediment, odors, etc.
• Use a water purifying pump such as models sold by camping equipment suppliers to purify the water - typically these pumps use a ceramic or other filter
• Use a water distiller such as a home or portable distillation unit (our photo just above/left shows a Sears® Kenmore home water distiller) (You'll need electrical power or a source of heat to distill water). This device processes about one gallon of water per cycle. We have been using this Sears Kenmore water distiller, model 5000 for more than fifteen years without a hitch. A disposable charcoal post-distillation filter is available for use in the drip spout of the unit - a potential source of contamination if it is not changed occasionally.
• Reverse osmosis: use a Reverse osmosis water filtration system if water pressure is available or if a portable R.O. system is available. See REVERSE OSMOSIS WATER TREATMENT for details. RO treatment systems may work where there is no electrical power provided that you have water pressure, such as in some municipal water situations.
• UV Lights - ultra violet light used for water sterilization - see UV -ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT TREATMENT
• Vinegar is sometimes used as a vegetable wash and may be effective against some microorganisms in water - we have not yet found authoritative data on this application.
• Mixed oxidants electrochemically generated from brine have been used for water disinfection
• Halogenated resins have been used for water disinfection
• Home Made & Expedient Water Sterilization Methods: Matthew Stein describes a variety of home-made, expedient, and partly effective water filters and water treatment methods in When Technology Fails. With plastic and a few sticks you can build a solar water sterilizer (solar water disinfection or SODIS systems).
  
  Stein also explains that slow sand filters have been used for partially cleaning and treating water for a very long time. A crude home made charcoal filter will remove some odors, bad tastes, organic toxic chemicals, and radioactive fallout. Mr. Stein also describes sari water filters used in Bangladesh after flooding, but includes a critical warning that filtering water through cloth is by no means really safe.
  
  Our favorite of his suggestions is using a plant to form a water collector and filter system, an idea which reminds us of native Americans who knew how to obtain water from desert barrel cactus. We enjoyed this book and provide this purchase link for it.

Basic water purification procedures that can be used in an emergency are described just below. If community or private wells are back in operating and providing water, do not assume that the water is sanitary and ok to drink until responsible authorities have said so. Even then, local water pipes in a building may be unsanitary and additional cleaning or disinfection may be needed. See WELL CHLORINATION SHOCKING PROCEDURE and See WATER TESTS, CONTAMINANTS, TREATMENT for advice on using a private well for drinking water.

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PLUMBING TOPICS
CHLORINE IN DRINKING WATER
CHLORINE IN SEPTIC WASTEWATER
WATER SOFTENERS
WATER TEST INTERPRETATION
FAILED WATER TESTS - WHAT TO DO
FAILED WATER TESTS - WHEN to RE-TEST
ODORS in WATER - TYPES, CAUSES
WATER TREATMENT EQUIPMENT CHOICES
  FILTERS for WATER
  FILTERS - SEDIMENT & IRON
  FILTERS - SULPHUR ODOR
  CHLORINATORS & CHARCOAL FILTERS
  REVERSE OSMOSIS WATER TREATMENT
  REVERSE OSMOSIS CONCENTRATE DISPOSAL
  UV -ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT TREATMENT
  WATER SOFTENERS
  WATER TREATMENT CHEMICAL SAFETY
EPA GUIDE to WATER QUALITY
FHA WATER TESTS REQUIRED
LEAD in WATER, ACTION GUIDE
ODORS IN WATER
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WATER CONTAMINANT LEVELS
WATER TEST INTERPRETATION
WATER TESTING GUIDE
WATER TREATMENT EQUIPMENT CHOICES
WATER ODORS, CAUSE CURE
WATER PUMPS & WELLS
WATER QUALITY TESTS, CONTAMINANTS, TREATMENT
WATER QUANTITY IMPROVEMENT
WATER QUANTITY USAGE GUIDE
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WELL SHOCKING GUIDE
WELLS CISTERNS & SPRINGS
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  WELL PIPING CHECK VALVES
  WELL PIPING FOOT VALVES
  WELL PUMP TYPES & LIFE EXPECTANCY
  WELL PUMP PRIMING PROCEDURE
WELL CHLORINATION SHOCKING PROCEDURE

• Aqua Pure is a 3M Company. CUNO Incorporated, 400 Research Pkwy, Meridien CT 06540 800-222-7880 or www.aquapure.com / www.cuno.com
• Siemens Ultraviolet Water Disinfection System, Sunburst - SBH series, 80 Commerce Drive, Allendale NJ 07401, 201-760-0364 or Siemens Headquarters, Water Technologies Group, 1901 West Garden Road, Vineland, NJ 08360
• Thanks to an anonymous reader for discussing water testing procedures following a UV light installation - 11 Sept 2009

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

• Our recommended books about building design, inspection, and repair, and about indoor environment testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore.
• Potable Aqua® emergency drinking water germicidal tablets are produced by the Wisconsin Pharmacal Co., Jackson WI 53037. 800-558-6614 pharmacalway.com
• Principles and Practice of Disinfection, Preservation and Sterilization (Hardcover)
  by A. D. Russell (Editor), W. B. Hugo (Editor), G. A. J. Ayliffe (Editor), Blackwell Science, 2004. ISBN-10: 1405101997, ISBN-13: 978-1405101998.
  "This superb book is the best of its kind available and one that will undoubtedly be useful, if not essential, to workers in a variety of industries. Thirty-one distinguished specialists deal comprehensively with the subject matter indicated by the title ... The book is produced with care, is very readable with useful selected references at the end of each chapter and an excellent index. It is an essential source book for everyone interested in this field. For pharmacy undergraduates, it will complement the excellent text on pharmaceutical microbiology by two of the present editors."
  The Pharmaceutical Journal: "This is an excellent book. It deals comprehensively and authoritatively with its subject with contributions from 31 distinguished specialists. There is a great deal to interest all those involved in hospital infection ... This book is exceptionally well laid out. There are well chosen references for each chapter and an excellent index. It is highly recommended." The Journal of Hospital Infection.: "The editors and authors must be congratulated for this excellent treatise on nonantibiotic antimicrobial measures in hospitals and industry ... The publication is highly recommended to hospital and research personnel, especially to clinical microbiologists, infection-control and environmental-safety specialists, pharmacists, and dieticians."
  New England Journal of Medicine: City Hospital, Birmingham, UK. Covers the many methods of the elimination or prevention of microbial growth. Provides an historical overview, descriptions of the types of antimicrobial agents, factors affecting efficacy, evaluation methods, and types of resistance. Features sterilization methods, and more. Previous edition: c1999. DNLM: Sterilization--methods.
• Handbook of Disinfectants and Antiseptics, Joseph M. Ascenzi (Editor), CRC, 1995, ISBN-10: 0824795245 ISBN-13: 978-0824795245 "The evaluation of chemical germicides predates the golden age of microbiology..." -
  This well-focused, up-to-date reference details the current medical uses of antiseptics and disinfectants -- particularly in the control of hospital-acquired infections -- presenting methods for evaluating products to obtain regulatory approval and examining chemical, physical, and microbiological properties as well as the toxicology of the most widely used commercial chemicals.
• When Technology Fails, Matthew Stein, Chelsea Green Publisher, 2008,493 pages. ISBN-10: 1933392452 ISBN-13: 978-1933392455, "... how to find and sterilize water in the face of utility failure, as well as practical information for dealing with water-quality issues even when the public tap water is still flowing". Mr. Stein's website is www.whentechfails.com/

More Information on Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

• Cheating on water tests: Testing Water for Real Estate Transactions - make sure your water test is valid
• Drinking Water Testing Advice for home buyers home owners home inspectors
• Interpreting Drinking Water Test Results and Correcting Unsatisfactory Water
• Drinking Water Contaminant Levels - Maximum Allowed
• Drinking Water Contamination and Pollution How to Detect, Test, Correct, and Prevent Well Water Contamination - US EPA - Groundwater
• Lead Contamination in Drinking Water: Testing & Correction - Advice (This Article)
• Lead Testing & Correcting Contamination from Lead Water Supply Lines/Entry Mains - Lead Pipe Problems/Advice
• Extreme Lead Poisoning Symptoms Suggested by Feb. 2006 NY Times Article on Kosovo Roma Camps
• ATSDR: Nitrate/Nitrite Toxicity [Big, Slow-Loading File] U.S. Government ATSDR Science Corner - 2.5MB PDF
• Water testing for Pesticides: comprehensive and pesticides-example parameters
• Water Testing: background comments on classes of water contaminants, & links to home buyer advice about water testing, drinking water, water supply
• When and How to Shock or Chlorinate a Well - Procedure for Shocking a Well to (temporarily or maybe longer) "Correct" Bacterial Contamination
• Water Requirements, Home & Outdoor Living
• Typical Water Tests & Fees this water test fee schedule applies when testing is combined with other onsite building inspection services
• Drinking Water testing, contamination, correction - all topics
• General water testing and corrective measure advice: contact your local health department.

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