Chemical-Free Water Treatment for Hotels: Enhance Water Hygiene with Wallenius AOT

Water treatment for hotels: cut chemicals and chlorine

Hotels and leisure facilities include lots of water, for general drinking, heating and hot water, plus many also include swimming pools and spas. If these water systems are not built and maintained correctly, water hygiene issues can effect efficiency and pose risk to human health.

Warm water that has been left to stagnate, often the case where outlets are used intermittently, provides the ideal conditions for Legionella and other bacteria to grow. This can be an issue in hotels and other leisure facilities where water usage is not constant and there are lots of potential bacterial strongholds – spas, swimming pools and Jacuzzis, for example. To ensure leisure facilities, and buildings in general, prevent legionella from the outset, care must be taken at the specification and construction stage.

Common issues:

Value engineering: Cost-effective ‘fit and forget’ water treatment solutions, such as magnetic water conditioners, for example, are often favoured at the construction stage due to their low energy and low maintenance credentials. Unfortunately, however, in practice we see varied results.

Problems usually present themselves several months or years after commissioning, due to the fact that lime-scale formation is not controlled throughout the entire water system as effectively as with traditional salt-based water softeners.

Modern plumbing trends: Low flow fittings for taps and showers, can exacerbate risk, allowing water to stagnate, creating the right conditions for Legionella to grow. Low flow options can be crucial in leisure environments that use a lot of water, so I’m not suggesting they should be ignored. Ongoing water system maintenance is essential, however, with regular cleaning and testing for the presence of harmful bacteria.

A bespoke approach is best, with legionella prevention based around a specific system and how it is used. Increasing the dosage of chemicals may not be always be the right answer, for example, and sometimes adjusting filtration or backwash settings can help, rather than just throwing in chemicals, regardless of the necessity.

We see many examples of supplementary treatment devices that end up failing or being turned off all together due to a lack of understanding in terms of their required Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) regimes or their importance – training is key, for all members of the building services and facilities management team.

Non-chemical water treatment

There are non-chemical alternatives to water treatment, such as Wallenius AOT, a photocatalytic water purifier which greatly reduce bacterial levels in the water, without the use of biocides. Where chemicals are used, by tailoring dosing to a specific system and its usage, excess dosing can be avoided – a thorough approach to water hygiene doesn’t mean throwing in the sustainability towel.

Reduce chlorine

Wallenius AOT not only treats legionella and other pathogens, it has a knock-on-effect of reducing the need for chlorine. Inspired by nature’s own way of purifying water, a specific frequency of light and photocatalytic surfaces are used to create free radicals that break down harmful micro-organisms and other pollutants in water. The amount of chlorine required can be significantly reduced; in some cases by as much as two thirds.

Water and energy savings can also be achieved. Photocatalytic water treatment is non-selective and breaks down all organic matter, resulting in reduced backwash volumes, as well as improving clarity. Swimming pools also smell less chemically and organic odours are prevented. In most cases the system is installed alongside the existing filtration equipment.

Whether you have plans to expand your leisure business, or protect an existing site, Legionella prevention and water treatment should never be an afterthought. A total approach will, from construction through to ongoing maintenance, will safeguard staff and guests, and potentially improve the overall efficiency of your buildings.

For more information about how Wallenius AOT can reduce the need for chemicals in your leisure facility, click here.