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Systems designed to provide water that is free of contaminants. These systems can eliminate one or more of the main (i.e., physical, chemical, and/or microbial) contaminants found in the water supplied (frequently tap water) to a healthcare facility. The main steps for a complete purification of the contaminated water include: (1) initial filtration (to eliminate particulates larger than 10 micron); (2) addition of a softener to remove calcium and magnesium; (3) use of carbon beds to eliminate (usually by absorption) low-molecular weight organic chemicals, especially chloramines frequently found in tap water; (4) reverse osmosis, a process that removes salts, bacteria, metal ions, and particulates; (5) deionization to remove charged particles (e.g., salts, metal ions); (6) ultrafiltration (to filter out particulates larger than 0.05 microns) that may remove bacteria pyrogens; and (7) ultraviolet radiation to kill microorganisms. Health care facility water purification systems are intended to provide a centralized supply of water in normal conditions or in emergency situations (e.g., after flooding); they may also be used in clinical laboratories and other areas of the facility. Water purification systems are an absolute necessity to perform hemodialysis procedures. Dedicated water purification systems that perform only one or a few of the purification steps (e.g., reverse osmosis, deionization, and ultraviolet radiation) according to the type of contaminants present in the water are also available.
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