EFFICIENCY OF CHLORINE
Active chlorine kills or inactivates 99.9% of the pathogenic microorganisms in water extremely reliably and prevents recontamination* when residual chlorine is left behind.
Chlorine is by far the most commonly used disinfectant in the world, according to the World Chlorine Council. Where it has been adopted, chlorine has helped eradicate waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and dysentery. Chlorine also eliminates myxobacteria, mold, and algae that grow on the walls of pipes and in cisterns and other water containers.
It should be noted that although bacteriological contamination of water is responsible for the vast majority of waterborne diseases, active chlorine (like the one produced with WATA devices) treats bacteriological contamination of water only. Active chlorine does not rid turbid water of the various sediments, etc., that make it turbid. Nor does it treat chemical contamination of water (by heavy metals, arsenic, etc.).
* (WHO, 2004, Water treatment and pathogen control, IWA publishing, p. 44-50)
CHOLERA EPIDEMICS, SUCH AS THE ONE THAT INFECTED ALMOST 8,000 PEOPLE IN PERU IN 1991, SHOW THE IMPORTANCE OF MUNICIPAL WATER TREATMENT (1992, RIES ET AL.).
SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE
WATA equipment allows the local production of a chlorine derivative called sodium hypochlorite. Sodium hypochlorite is currently produced in 85 countries. From the end of the 19th century to the present day, its production has increased from 35,000 tons to 44,000,000 tons. Certain chlorine derivatives used for water treatment can be dangerous, fortunately the sodium hypochlorite produced by WATA devices is less corrosive and is safe to manipulate with minimal training. Indeed, despite being unpleasant to ingest, it is not dangerous. The chlorine solution produced with WATA:
1) has a chlorine concentration four times (4x) lower than bleach
2) Furthermore, it nevertheless has a lower pH than bleach and is therefore more effective as a disinfectant.
CONSERVATION AND STABILISATION
Correct storage is necessary to ensure that the sodium hypochlorite solution produced is stable over time.
Active chlorine concentrate should be stored in non-metallic, opaque, and tightly closed containers. It is essential that the bottles are kept in the dark and in the coolest possible place. High storage temperatures reduce the stability of the solution, leading to a loss of concentration and accelerated decomposition of the active chlorine into chlorates. Please note that chlorine will keep better in a full container than in a half-empty one, where it will be oxidized by the presence of air.
In order to ensure a longer shelf life of the sodium hypochlorite solution, it is necessary to avoid the presence of metallic impurities in the raw materials (water and salt) used for production.
Shelf life of the solution produced with WATA
The sodium hypochlorite produced with WATA devices does not have a stable active chlorine concentration over time. We recommend using the solution 24 hours after production.
If you want to keep your chlorine solution for a longer period of time, it is necessary to stabilize it.
For this purpose WATALUX SA has developed the WataStab kit.