UVC LEDs for Private Wells and Off-Grid Homes

According to the EPA, 13 million homes in the U.S. run on private water systems, of which, nearly 90 percent have a private well. The EPA provides standards and testing requirements to be met for water quality on these systems, but compliance falls on the homeowner.

While the thought of clear water flowing from a source of your own creates a unique sense of independence and accomplishment, the water from these private sources have a higher risk of chemical and bacterial contamination. With the challenge of monitoring for contaminants and the speed at which source water quality can deteriorate in small systems, unannounced exposure to contaminated water is a real possibility and can shatter the trust and security in the water that was once treasured by the homeowner.

Bringing the water from a private water source up to drinking water quality standards is no easy task at the individual home level. Even if the property is used for short periods of time, the need to properly specify systems, identify unique contaminants, and manage ongoing maintenance becomes a recurring hardship for homeowners.

Regardless of whether the property is used seasonally or year-round, this scenario puts excessive demands on the home’s water treatment systems. Specifically, Point of Entry (POE) systems that purify all water in the home can be overkill for some points of use (e.g. toilets, gardening, etc.) and require maintenance and replacements annually.

POE purification with UV lamps can be the most onerous in these situations. POE UV lamp reactors disinfect water that’s used for everything, consume energy 24/7, and require annual replacement. This results in a high annual price for a couple months of disinfected drinking water for occupants.

Ultimately, occupants need one thing from these systems: water of the right quality flowing from the right tap.

With disinfection primarily needed only for drinking water, the use of UVC LED reactors- such as plug-n-play UVC systems- at point-of-use provides a new system configuration that can lower the $1,000 plus price tag of POE UV lamp reactors while assuring safe drinking water.

Using UVC LED reactors at the point-of-use for drinking water lowers the flow rate required of the UV system, thereby lowering the cost to the owner. Moreover, UVC LEDs can instantly turn on and off based on water flow, reducing energy consumption. By operating exclusively when drinking water is needed, UVC LEDs have a maintenance-free lifetime that lasts for years beyond installation- providing trust in water quality without the headache of replacements.

Point-of-use UVC LED reactors for disinfection, combined with a Point of Entry system for water clarity and removal of contaminants, gives off-grid homeowners the best mix of treatment technologies to reduce costs and maintenance.

For incorporation into new system builds or a quick addition under the sink in existing off-grid homes, UVC LED reactors like the Klaran WR Series UVC LED Reactor can give water-system providers an immediate solution for private water system owners to reinforce trust in their water and worry less year after year.