UV water disinfection enquiries increase under threat of Naegleria Fowleri

With the summer comes soaring temperatures and the instinctual human desire to cool off in water. However for rural communities, a dip in the local swimming hole, farm dam or even a run under the sprinkler could be deadly.

Fresh water sources such as these, as well as bores, creeks and rain water tanks are at risk of contamination by the deadly amoeba, Naegleria Fowleri, known as a ‘brain eating’ pathogen as it causes meningitis encephalitis and has a 98% fatality rate. The risk occurs when contaminated water enters the nose and the parasite penetrates the brain.

Since the airing of the Australian Story program late last year highlighting the dangers of the water borne amoeba, UV-Guard’s phones have been ringing hot with enquiries from rural customers wanting to protect their water supplies and their families from the deadly pathogen.

UV-Guard Technical Director, Luke Chamberlain said people want to know how they can treat their water to ensure against contamination by Naegleria Fowleri.

“The Australian Story program has made people aware of the dangers of untreated water particularly concerning this amoeba which has taken the lives of 3 children since 2001, all living within 100km of each other in rural Queensland.”

“We know that Naegleria Fowleri thrive in warm water, especially between 25°C and 40°C. Any water body that seasonally exceeds 30°C or continually exceeds 25°C can support the growth of Naegleria Fowleri. Summer is the perfect time for this pathogen to multiply to dangerous levels and caution around untreated water is advised,” Mr Chamberlain said.

“UV disinfection is a simple and cost effective measure to safeguard against the Naegleria Fowleri parasite. Our UV systems can simply be fitted to a rain water tank, or aligned with domestic water outlets to ensure that the parasite is killed prior to human contact.”

“The added bonus with UV water disinfection is that there is no need to add any nasty chemicals to the water supply which can affect the taste and odour, such as with chlorination. The UV energy emitted by the UV lamp works to destroy the pathogen, rendering it completely harmless.”

“We’ve been very busy lately working with rural customers to design UV water treatment systems specifically for their needs. As experienced water treatment engineers we know that a relatively high UV dose is required for protection against the parasite when it is in the cyst form, that’s something that an unspecified ‘off the shelf’ UV system can’t provide,” Mr Chamberlain said.

For more information please contact Luke Chamberlain at UV-Guard on 02 9631 4900 or email [email protected]

More information about UV-Guard’s range of UV water treatment systems is available at www.uvguard.com

About UV-Guard

UV-Guard are specialists in Ultraviolet (UV) water disinfection. UV-Guard designs, manufactures and supplies an extensive range of UV water purification equipment, as well as spare parts for all major UV brands

UV-Guard’s UV water disinfection systems can be used in any application where disinfection is required, from wastewater treatment plants to ultra pure water processes. No micro-organism is known to be immune to UV – even the chlorine resistant Giardia and Cryptosporidium. Economical and efficient, UV water disinfection is chemical free, with no impact on taste and no corrosion problems.

UV-Guard’s water disinfection systems are performance proven and flexible across a range of uses. Each system is designed by qualified engineers according to the application and project requirements. UV-Guard provides an unmatched level of customer service and technical support for the life of its products, from pre-design consulting to system operation.