WATER WORKS
Cameron McDonald is the Business Development Manager at Bombora Coffee + Water Supplies.
One of a kind Bombora Coffee + Water Supplies Business Development Manager Cameron McDonald explains how BRITA’s range of filters can treat and block even the toughest of water conditions.
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n March, torrential rain impacted communities across the east coast of Australia, resulting in severe flooding, mass town evacuations and thousands of damaged homes. After what had already been a wet summer with above-average rainfall, the saturated, close-to-capacity water catchment areas cannot cope. The intensity of the floodwaters caused significant erosion of dirt, sand, and clay. As a result, local water agencies estimate that the turbidity or cloudiness of the raw water in flood-affected regions has risen at least 100 times above acceptable levels. Turbidity is caused by solid particulates within a water source, which can include soil, sand, as well as clay. These particulates can cause significant damage to municipal water that water authorities distribute to communities. This particularly affects municipal water sources that rely on large-scale sand filters, which can clog under the sheer volume of contaminants, or ultraviolet disinfection systems. This requires water turbidity to be below one NTU (nephelometric turbidity units), water containing one milligram of finely divided silica per litre. This is so the transfer of the disinfecting light can reach and neutralise bacterial coliforms. So, what does this mean for local small businesses, including cafés? The chances are high that the incoming water supply has suffered sediment and particulate matter ingress. The key here, is to address this issue before recommissioning your machine, including disconnecting the machine feed line, and running water into a bucket until it is clear of particulate matter.
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The next crucial step is changing the water filter as any contamination to the line will also be trapped within the water filter. Thankfully, this is where BRITA water filters can shine. Its filters are designed to mechanically remove, absorb, and exchange the three most common contaminants found in Australia: chlorine, particulate matter, and of course scale. Filters are designed to mechanically
block or absorb incoming contaminants, including sediment, chlorine, scale, and bacteria. When a filter is left unused, these contaminants can begin to cause the filter to resemble a stagnant pond internally. They may also affect the structure and overall integrity of the filter, which can lead to the filter dumping contaminants into a coffee machine. It is for this reason that a filter change
The recent floods in Queensland have shattered rainfall records, resulting in increased water turbidity.
