With frequent scares in recent weeks over Legionnaires disease, a new product has been launched on the Irish market which prevents the risk of the disease at the point of use.
Ster-O-Tap® (www.sterotap.ie ) is a shower head with an integrated filter and will successfully remove almost all bacteria and still cope with the high flow rates typical of a domestic water show.
Legionnaires disease is caused by a bacterium called Legionella pneumophilla. It is a disease which affects the lungs with symptoms varying from fever in its mild form to a severe form of pneumonia, and can be fatal in 10 to 15 per cent of cases.
In Ireland, between 2000 and 2007, there were 67 cases reported, resulting in five deaths. This however is not the complete story as the National Disease Surveillance Centre has reported that “Legionnaires disease is under diagnosed and under reported” in Ireland.
While the Legionnella bacteria can originate from any stagnant water environment, it is frequently found in the shower plumbing of buildings including hotels, hospitals, offices, schools, government buildings and manufacturing plants.
The low pressure membrane technology used in Ster-O-Tap® is patented and achieves a microfiltration of 0.15 microns (0.00015mm ).
The product which has just been introduced to the Irish market by AquaChem Limited, one of the largest providers of water treatment services in Ireland. The product was developed after similar technology was used in the medical market for the filtration of blood cells.
Speaking on behalf of AquaChem, MD Kieran Coleman said that one of the main advantages of Ster-O-Tap® is that it will fit most shower types currently available in the market today.
At a cost of €80 per shower head, it is a solution which can quickly be implemented and in comparison to other water treatment options is very affordable. In particular we see a large potential for this product in the hotel, leisure and healthcare sectors.”
More information is available on Ster-O-Tap by visiting the website (www.ster-o-tap.ie ) or by contacting Aquachem on 01-8252775
