UV Sanitizing Products: How They Keep Your Water Safe

It seems amazing that sunlight, the warmth we take for granted can be used to destroy germs in our pools, in our drinking water and on surfaces like hospital equipment. People are often surprised to learn that chlorine and other chemicals are not the only options to keep pool water clean. Read on if you are curious about how UV purifiers work and whether they can eliminate specific germs, viruses and bacteria from your water.

How Does UV Sanitizing Work?

There are three different types of ultraviolet light: A, B, and C. UVC can be used to sterilize equipment and water. All three forms of light can damage DNA. That’s why exposure to sunlight increases your odds for skin cancer, because the light is destroying a very small number of your cell’s DNA. Overtime, this risk adds up. However, by applying heavier doses of UVC light to non-living things, like water or hospital equipment, we can destroy the DNA of some of the harmful things growing in or on them. You wouldn’t want to expose any part of your body to this level of UV light, as you could really harm yourself. However, UV purifier systems don’t allow the light to leave them, so you’re safe. The contaminants inside of the system, on the other hand are not.

UV light can destroy viruses, bacteria, parasites, and mold. After a certain amount of time in the light, those organisms will essentially die, although their remnants will remain in the water. Without proper DNA, these organisms can no longer function or reproduce. This means that if you swallow water that was properly UV-treated, it won't make you ill.

One caveat is that shadows can affect how well UV purifiers work. Pathogens can hide in the shadows of larger debris in the water. That’s why these systems need to shine the light for a certain amount of time, to give the hiding debris the time to float into the light.

UV sterilization remains a great tool for destroying other viruses and bacteria that you may be concerned about. For example, cryptosporidium is resistant to bleach and chlorine treatments, but can be effectively killed with UV lights.

Parasites are another good reason to use UV light to sanitize your water. Many municipalities rely on UVC treatments to destroy the parasites in drinking water. While chlorine is also an important part of the process of making potable water, chlorine does not kill all parasites, and UVC treatments target them.

You can harness this power to clean your own pool water with a UV filter from Pool Supplies Canada. Reach out to us to learn more.

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