EWU F.A.Q.
Product Specifications
Product Effectiveness
Required Training
Product Field Testing
Purchasing/Shipping
Comparison with Chlorine Treatment
Product Specifications
What does the Water Of Life Expeditionary Water Unit consist of?
A typical system can include several items:
- One Water Of Life water purification unit
- Stainless steel mesh particulate strainers
- Optional water pump (as required by field conditions)
- Optional incoming (dirty water) tank (e.g. the Water Of Life collapsible tank)
How much does a Water Of Life Expeditionary Water Unit weigh?
One unit weighs 25kg (55lbs).
What are the dimensions of the Water Of Life Expeditionary Water Unit?
28 x 28 x 135cm (11 x 11 x 53 inches).
How much water does the Water Of Life Expeditionary Water Unit purify per hour?
The system purifies 2,650L (700 gal.) per hour.
How does the Water Of Life Expeditionary Water Unit work?
The system uses advanced technology to apply ultraviolet light (UV-C) to the water in a reactor which inactivates harmful pathogens in the water.
How much power does the Water Of Life Expeditionary Water Unit require?
For purifying 2,650L (700 gal.) per hour, the system requires an amazingly low 210 watts.
What power source does the Water Of Life Expeditionary Water Unit require?
The system requires a 12 volt DC power source such as a 90amp hour (Group 27) 12 volt deep cycle battery. Alternatively, the battery may be recharged from a vehicle or the electrical grid with a battery charger.
What grade of steel is used in the water reaction chamber?
The Water Of Life systems are constructed of 304 stainless steel to comply with public health standards such as the NSF Standard 61.
How many people does a Water Of Life Expeditionary Water Unit serve?
One unit is intended to serve from 700 to 2,800 persons, assuming they consume 32 - 90L (6 - 24 gal.) per day and the system runs continuously.
Is there a product warranty?
We offer a six month warranty against defects in materials and manufacturing on every system.
How can you guarantee the water quality produced by the Water Of Life Expeditionary Water Unit?
The system is built with an integrated automatic valve that stops the flow of water from the unit when the input power drops below a threshold level. When installed, operated and maintained in accordance with the instructions, the unit should continue to meet the intended water purity specifications.
What is the lifetime of a Water Of Life Expeditionary Water Unit?
With proper care and maintenance, the unit should be expected to operate for at least 5 years.
What happens after 5 years when the life of the system is up? Does the entire system need to be replaced or are there major parts that could be replaced for less cost than the entire system? Does the life of the system vary depending on the source of the water or the quality of the water?
The systems are constructed of precision TIG welded sanitary stainless steel which should last many years. The electronics are likely to need replacement at about eight to ten years. We have very conservatively rated them for a 5-year lifetime.
Does the system leave any chemical residue in the water?
No, the system does not add any chemicals to the water.
How does the water taste?
Ultraviolet technology removes odor causing bacteria from the water leaving the water with a very pleasant taste.
What safety features are built into the Water Of Life Expeditionary Water Unit?
The system has constant power monitoring and a continuously operating automatic shut-off valve to prevent unpurified water from passing through the system. The system has an automatic time delay of 45 seconds upon any start before the valve opens to irradiate the residual water in the system.
Is the Water Of Life Expeditionary Water Unit impact-resistant?
Water Of Life recommends protecting the unit from impact. However, in accordance with our principle of robust design, the unit sustained drops of 0.61m (24 in) onto concrete during strife testing without affecting its operation. (back to top)
Product Effectiveness
How effective is the Water Of Life Expeditionary Water Unit against bacteria and viruses?
The system has been demonstrated to remove more than 99.9999% of bacteria and more than 99.99% of viruses at flow rates up to 2,650L (700 gal.) per hour, from visually clean water at 25°C (77°F) under circumstances similar to the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Guide Standard and Protocol for Testing Microbiological Water Purifiers.
What does the Water Of Life Expeditionary Water Unit do to source water?
Our systems inactivate all the major organisms from the three major classes of water-borne pathogens as demonstrated by tests performed at the University of Arizona simulating the EPA requirements:
1. Protozoa For example, Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Entamoebic Dysentery, Diphyllobothrium and Blastocysts.
2. Viruses For example, Bacteriophage - E. Coli, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Rotavirus, Norovirus, Enterovirus (meningitis), Influenza and Poliovirus – Poliomyelitis.
3. Bacteria For example, Bacillus anthracis – Anthrax, Brewer's yeast, Corynebacterium diptheriae, Dysentery bacilli, Escherichia coli, Leptospiracanicola – infectious, Legionella pneumophilia, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enteritidis, Salmonella paratyphi, Salmonella typhimurium, Shigella dyseteriae, Shigella flexneri, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus faecaelis, Trachoma, Typhus amd Vibria comma - Cholera.
How energy efficient is the Water Of Life Expeditionary Water Unit?
Our system has an extremely low power consumption of 210 watts at a water flow rate of 2,650L (700 gal.) per hour consider how effective it is. Usually, power consumption increases exponentially with bacterial inactivation rate.
How effective is the Water Of Life Expeditionary Water Unit against cryptosporidium?
Although the Water Of Life system has not yet been tested for cryptosporidium inactivation at the U.S. EPA testing laboratory, its excellent performance on the virus inactivation test leads experts in the field to conclude that it will satisfactorily inactivate giardia and cryptosporidium.
Why is the Water Of Life Expeditionary Water Unit so efficient and effective at removing bacteria and viruses?
We have an entirely new reactor design that makes UV so much more effective at removing bacteria and viruses from water. We call our technology UVX™. (back to top)
Required Training
What training is necessary to operate the Expeditionary Water Unit?
Minimal training is needed. We have found that users with no experience but have some background in simple mechanical systems can master the unit in less than an hour. (back to top)
Product Field Testing
Has the Water Of Life Expeditionary Water Unit been field tested?
Water Of Life water purification units have been tested for more than 1.9 million liters (500,000 gal.) of water at a field test site as well as in a multi-country field trial in remote villages.
At what qualified laboratory was the Water Of Life Expeditionary Water Unit tested?
The system was tested by the University of Arizona's Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science. The unit has been demonstrated to remove more than 99.9999% of bacteria and more than 99.99% of viruses at flow rates up to 2,650L (700 gal.) per hour, from visually clear water at 25°C (77°F), under circumstances similar to the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Guide Standard and Protocol for Testing Microbiological Water Purifiers.
Is the Water Of Life Expeditionary Water Unit certified by the National Science Foundation (NSF)?
We do not have NSF Certification. (back to top)
Purchasing/Shipping
How do I purchase a Water Of Life Expeditionary Water Unit?
Email us at sales@wateroflife.net and we will promptly respond. Otherwise, call us or send us a letter (see contact page for our phone number and address).
How much time does it take to get one?
If units are in stock, we can usually ship within 10 days. However, if units are not in stock due to high demand, it may take up to 12-16 weeks to ship.
How do I get the unit through customs in my country?
Contact your local customs agency for more information.
Can the unit be checked as airline baggage?
Yes, usually for a minor additional charge by the airline. The unit packaged for transport in a cardboard box measures only 30.5 x 30.5 x 152 cm (12 x 12 x 60 inches).
Where can the Water Of Life Expeditionary Water Unit be used?
The system can be used anywhere in the world where it can be used in compliance with local, state and federal laws. Be sure to check with your local authorities. (back to top)
Comparison with Chlorine Treatment
Do other systems employing chlorine treatment provide safe drinking water?
Chlorine is used to treat drinking water in many areas of the world. When properly applied, chlorine is effective at inactivating viruses and bacteria from drinking water. However, it is not effective at inactivating potentially deadly protozoa such as cryptosporidium or giardia, which are often found in surface water.
The dosage of chlorine needs to be carefully administered to the water because overdosing the water with chlorine can cause serious injury or death. When chlorine is applied to drinking water from sources that contain naturally occurring substances such as decomposing plant and animal material, trihalomethanes are produced which are suspected carcinogens (cancer-causing agents). The President's Council on Environmental Quality states that "there is increased evidence for an association between rectal, colon and bladder cancer, and the consumption of chlorinated drinking water." Research indicates the incidence of cancer is 44% higher among those using chlorinated water.
Chlorine must be used before its expiration date (typically 6 months for bleach), which may be difficult to comply with in remote areas. Many municipal water utilities have replaced chlorine with chloramines in their drinking water supply to avoid the production of trihalomethanes and their potentially carcinogenic effects.
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