Quality control of potable water through Automatic Particle Counting

The automatic particle counter Pamas WaterViewer is suitable for continuous quality control of water. The measurement is carried out online during operation. The analysis system has been successfully used by many users for years and is employed for the purity control of drinking water, industrial water, wastewater, or raw water. Numerous universities in Europe also use the device in research related to drinking water treatment.

The automatic particle counting system Pamas WaterViewer is designed for water applications and has proven itself in the particle analysis of drinking water, raw water, industrial water, and wastewater. The measurement is carried out online and continuously during operation. As soon as previously defined limit values are exceeded, the device immediately triggers an alarm. With the optionally available multiplexer unit, the WaterViewer can be connected to up to 32 measuring points and thus monitor up to 32 measurement locations.

The German company Pamas develops, manufactures and distributes Automatic Particle Counters for fluid cleanliness control, e.g. of hydraulic or lubricating oil, fuel, pharmaceutical liquids like infusion solutions, WFI (Water for Injection) and process water. For dedicated water applications, the company offers both portable and online measuring instruments. Portable instruments for water applications are the particle counters of the Pamas S4031 product series. For online measurement of water, the Pamas product range provides the Pamas WaterViewer fulfilling the specific requirements for water quality control: This online particle counter is the ideal instrument for the analysis of potable water, process water, purified waste water or raw water. The Pamas WaterViewer has been tried and tested for water applications throughout Europe for many years and has become the trusted measuring instrument for use in water treatment plants and water distribution networks. Pamas Automatic Particle Counters (APCs) deliver faster and more accurate measuring results than turbidimeters or nephelometers. They also provide a more sensitive, differentiated measuring result: Beyond the collective amount of particles, an APC detects, counts and measures each and every single particle. In an online environment, the trending of these results shows much more interesting events.

There are various existing methods to determine whether water is clean and free from particulate contamination. In water treatment systems, both particle counters and turbidimeters or nephelometers are used for water quality control. Turbidimeters and nephelometers measure the collective amount of solid contaminants in liquids. The more turbid a liquid is, the higher the measuring value will be. Contrary to this, Automatic Particle Counters do not measure the collective amount of solid particles, they analyse size and quantity of each single particle which is part of that population in the online sample flow. The knowledge of the particle sizes is of paramount importance in water applications, as it helps to quickly identify certain types of bacteria or even a failure in the system (e.g. break-through of a membrane filter in case of an above average number of large sized particles). The Automatic Particle Counter thus gives more versatile and significant results than a turbidimeter.

The company specialises in liquid particle counters and develops, manufactures and distributes Automatic Particle Counters, designed for fluid cleanliness control. The extensive Pamas product range provides more than 20 different particle counting models for multiple applications. Besides the most widely used models, which are applied in contamination control of hydraulic fluids, fuel and insulation liquids there are more specialised models for the determination of filter efficiency (beta-ratio analysis) and parts cleaning. Fluid cleanliness control in the pharmaceutical industry and water quality control in water treatment plants are other applications within the extensive uses of Automatic Particle Counters.

One instrument of the its product range especially designed for water applications is the Pamas WaterViewer. This unit takes measurements online and is installed as a fixed stationary instrument for water condition monitoring. The system is used for the cleanliness control of potable water, raw water and purified waste water or process water. For condition monitoring, the device may be connected to up to 32 measuring points. With the aid of microprocessor controlled valves, it is easy to change between measuring points and bypass connections. The WaterViewer may be fitted optionally with an automatic Sensor Flushing Unit, the Pamas SFU. This attachment will automatically remove mineral deposits (e.g. manganese, calcium, iron oxide, etc.) from the optical cell windows which may otherwise diminish the laser light beam. The instrument stays in action round the clock without anyone having to take care of it. The instrument configuration can be set up according to the customer’s requirements: Depending on the user-specific application, the device may be equipped with different particle sensors with different sensor specifications. The sensor Pamas HCB-LD-25/25 for example, analyses particle sizes between 1 and 200 µm.

The Pamas WaterViewer has been tried, tested and trusted for many years and considered by many users as an accurate and reliable measuring instrument for water applications. It was screened and chosen by the Dutch KWR Research Institute (former KIWA) in 2005. Since then, a multitude of existing publications and scientific papers prove that the device is used for scientific research at many universities in Europe (e.g. at the Technical University Delft in the Netherlands, at the University of Lorraine in France and at the University of Kuopio in Finland). As an example, the Pamas WaterViewer helped to identify relevant factors for the ideal construction of water distribution pipeline systems and the most efficient filtration speed required in pool water treatment.