ABSTRACT
The problem of unsafe drinking water is recognized to be not an isolated technical problem, but interrelated to the problems of adequate water supply, community education in public hygiene, access to sanitation, and effective and safe disposal of human and animal wastes. A device uses ultraviolet (UV) light to inexpensively disinfect community drinking water supplies. This device has been tested in a number of independent laboratories worldwide. The laboratory tests have confirmed that the unit is capable of disinfecting waters to drinking water standards for bacteria. Deep borehole water from the Lily of the Valley AIDS hospice was found to be contaminated with faecal and total coliforms. The UV Waterworks unit successfully treated this water for the first 4.5 months and again after cleaning the outlet port and pipe. The results so far suggest that the unit continued to deliver good disinfection performance without any maintenance.
