Water purification system solves emergency needs

Water purification systems can help keep hospitals operational.

Aultman Hospital, Canton, Ohio, recently determined it needed a better way to supply water in an emergency other than relying on bottled water. The hospital found a solution by purchasing water purification equipment that fulfills a potable water operations plan for 96 hours as required by the Joint Commission.

Shawn Adley, account manager from Grainger, a health care products and services supplier headquartered in Lake Forest, Ill., referred the hospital to First Water Systems Inc., Atlanta, for a solution.

The company supplies water purification systems that can produce potable water drawn from virtually any compromised fresh water source, says Tom Flaim, president and CEO, First Water. The water puri­fication system utilizes onboard pumps or existing pressure to draw water, which passes through multiple levels of filtration to remove dirt, debris, bacteria and more. The purified water is emitted from a hose that is connected to a device or equipment as needed.

The hospital bought 23 60-pound water purification systems installed in a portable case, says Betsy Pooley, P.E., director of building services at Aultman. The unit can be hooked up in five minutes and pumps a gallon of filtered water a minute. Aultman also bought four units that pump 720 gallons of potable water an hour and storage tanks.