Mineral Water System

ELECTRONIC WATER PURIFICATION

Copper and silver have been used for centuries to sanitize water. Silver is a powerful bactericide and copper is a well-known algaecide.

In ancient Greece, royalty drank from silver goblets and water was stored in silver urns in order to purify drinking water. As pioneer settlers moved west across the American continent in their wagon trains, they ensured safe drinking water by placing silver coins in their barrels of water and milk.

Today, silver is used in medications to treat burn patients and to prevent infections, in drinking water filters, in bacteria-free cosmetics, for newborns to prevent blindness, and for filling cavities in teeth to help prevent further decay. Copper-based algaecides have long been used in swimming pools, fountains, lakes, and ponds to safely control algae-related problems.

NASA TECHNOLOGY

In the 1960s, US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) developed an electrolytic silver ionizer to purify astronauts' drinking water for use on the Apollo missions.

The NASA Manned Space Center (now known as Johnson Space Center) and the Garrett Corporation's Air Research Division conducted a research program to develop a small, light-weight water purifier for the Apollo spacecraft. The water purifier would require minimal power and would not need to be monitored around-the-clock by astronauts in orbit. The final product - a 9-ounce purifier, slightly larger than a pack of cigarettes, and completely chlorine-free - dispensed silver ions into the spacecraft's water supply to successfully kill off bacteria. A NASA technical brief released at the time of the research reported that the silver ions did not "impart an unpleasant taste to the water."

NASA's ingenuity to control microbial contamination in space caught on quickly, opening the doors to safer methods of controlling water pollutants on earth.

PARTNERSHIP

Manufacturers of the Mineral Water System obtained NASA's permission to produce a modified version of the Space Agency's patented Electrolytic Silver Ion Cell for numerous commercial and industrial applications. These applications include swimming pools, hot water spas, decorative fountains, ponds, manufacturing processes, and evaporative water cooling towers.

PRODUCT OUTCOME

Since 1985, makers of the Mineral Water System have set the standard as the leading manufacturers of ionization technology. The system's ion chamber has been certified and tested by the US National Sanitization Foundation (NSF) and bears the NSF logo. It is also manufactured under strict compliance to ASTM Standard D2466.

The Mineral Water System electronically releases silver and copper ions into water to destroy bacteria and algae, which are then filtered out:

• The system's automatic water purification ionizers employ a safe, low direct current - like that of several common household batteries - that passes through a set of silver and copper alloy electrodes.
• As the water supply traverses the ionizers' sealed chamber, metal ions are generated to purify the water.
• When these ions encounter bacteria and algae, they destroy them through an alteration of vital enzyme processes.
• All of the charged particles then flock together and are pulled out by a filter.
• The ions maintain a stable sanitizer residual until they are completely used up by this process.

A key design feature distinguishes the Mineral Water System from other ionization technologies. The system reads the changing conditions of the anode and water chemistry, adjusting the power output accordingly. This ensures an accurate metering of the ion flow, allowing the system to generate minute amounts of silver, copper, and zinc via a refined combination of digital-analog technology to create mineral water purity.

The exclusive metallurgy and anode design provides self-cleaning, ease of maintenance, and superior water quality. The anode is a unique combination of silver (a proven bactericide), copper (which eliminates algae), and zinc (which prevents corrosion).

The Mineral Water System has several important advantages over chlorine-reliant purification techniques:

HEALTH

• Unlike chlorine, which can react chemically with organic materials in water to form a class of carcinogenic substances called trihalomethanes, the ions produced by the Mineral Water System pose no health risks.
• Moreover, the side effects of swimming in chlorinated water, which include burning eyes, odor, and bleached or dry skin and hair, are significantly reduced with the Mineral Water System.
• Numerous independent laboratory tests from NASA, health departments and universities, and many years of field testing have confirmed the exceptional sanitizing ability of copper/silver ionization. Studies further show that using a combination of copper and silver can be effective against E. coli, Pseudomonas, Legionella Pneumophila (Legionnaires' disease), Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Salmonella, and other pathogens - some of which have proven to be resilient even to high levels of chlorine.

MAINTENANCE

• The Mineral Water System is energy and cost efficient, and saves time on water maintenance. Unlike chlorine, ions produced by the system do not dissipate from heat and sunlight, thereby providing a very stable sanitizing residual. Moreover, it costs almost nothing to operate the low power ion generators.
• The system automatically sanitizes water without daily dosing and handling of chemicals, eliminating the need to spend thousands on chemical sanitizers, algaecides, and clarifiers, thereby substantially reducing chemical costs and maintenance.
• In addition, the system does not affect water balance, and produces water that is pH neutral and non-corrosive. Thus, unlike chlorinated water, ionized water allows plants to thrive and does not corrode water feature surfaces and equipment.
• Considering premature deterioration of water feature surfaces and equipment, and the cost of chlorine chemicals, the Mineral Water System gives significant savings on water maintenance budgets.

The Mineral Water System has been installed in thousands of residential and resort pools and spas, YMCA facilities throughout the USA and at major American university indoor/outdoor pools, including the University of Virginia, the University of Texas, Purdue University, and Wake Forest University.

The Fountain of Wealth at Suntec City, Singapore - the largest decorative fountain the world - uses the Mineral Water System.

Decorative fountains at Disney World USA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, and Kellogg's Cereal City in Battle Creek, Michigan, are kept sanitized with the Mineral Water System, not to mention the largest decorative fountain in the world, the Fountain of Wealth in Suntec City, Singapore.

Furthermore, the Cincinnati Zoo is tapping the technology for its sea lion tank, walrus pool, and arctic bird exhibit; Zoo Atlanta is utilizing it for its tiger and hoof stock exhibits; and Alligator Adventure in North Myrtle Beach, North Carolina, is employing it in its habitat for UTAN, the largest crocodile ever to be exhibited in the United States.

Outside of recreational use, the electrolytic ionizer of the Mineral Water System has proven to be invaluable for industry, especially in the areas of heating, venting and air conditioning, and in cooling towers that are relied upon to remove heat from a stored water source so that water can be recirculated and reused, or safely discharged into a natural body of water, like a river.

To see a partial list of Mineral Water System installations in the USA and elsewhere, click here.

The list of applications and benefits from this NASA-derived technology continues to grow daily, validating the solid foundation of and strong future for electronic water purification.

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