Zip Water announces the new Zip HydroTap UltraCare, a multi-barrier system designed to protect sensitive environments such as hospitals and aged care facilities against harmful bacteria. Zip HydroTap UltraCare has been independently verified and proven to reduce Legionella by 99.9 per cent, with the performance claim verified by ALS Australia during efficacy testing of the system.
Legionella, a waterborne bacterial organism, causes Legionnaires’ disease, which can have serious health impacts. Unless diagnosed and treated rapidly, the disease can be fatal, especially in vulnerable people. In health and aged care settings, the mortality rate for Legionnaires’ disease is as high as 40 per cent.
To combat this challenge, the Australian Federal Environmental Health Standing Committee (enHealth) developed and released a set of guidelines in 2015 for Legionella control in the operation and maintenance of water distribution systems in health and aged care facilities.
In response, states and territories have been tasked with developing individualised water management plans for each health and aged care facility under their jurisdiction to manage and control health risks associated with the supply and use of water.
Using a combination of localised treatments and barriers that are proven as the most effective method of reducing waterborne organisms and pathogens, including Legionella, Zip HydroTap UltraCare provides additional safeguards for some of Australia’s most vulnerable people, while helping health and aged care facilities meet more stringent regulatory requirements, says Zip Water marketing and strategy director, Mike Abbott.
“The new Zip HydroTap UltraCare is a multi-barrier system that protects from harmful Legionella bacteria, while still providing the convenience of instant boiling and chilled water at the touch of a button.
“We conceived, designed and manufactured the Zip HydroTap UltraCare system in direct response to the Federal enHealth guidelines. While there is no silver bullet for protecting against Legionella, we have included a combination of the systemic and localised treatments for disinfection systems outlined in the guidelines that more than meets the recommended multi-treatment approach.
“The Zip HydroTap UltraCare system has been proven to reduce Legionella by 99.9 per cent. As a result, we see this new product playing a key role in helping states and territories develop water management plans that successfully manage and control health risks associated with the supply and use of water in health and aged care facilities,” adds Abbott.
The enHealth guidelines-recommended systemic and localised treatments that Zip Water has implemented within the Zip HydroTap UltraCare system are:
- Point-of-use microfiltration: The Zip MicroPurity 0.2-micron carbon-free filtration reduces potentially harmful contaminants larger than 0.2 microns in size – an impurity that will fit 250 times into a strand of hair.
- Chlorination: Chlorine is typically added to water as a disinfectant to remove bacteria. Carbon is then added to most filters to remove chlorine from water to make it taste nice. Zip Water has introduced carbon-free filtration in the Zip HydroTap UltraCare to ensure any active chlorine continues to disinfect the supplied water, without compromising taste.
- Copper-silver ionisation: The addition of SteriTouch® impregnated inside key water contact surfaces reduces surface bacteria by 99.99%. SteriTouch® is embedded with Silver ions, which kills existing bacteria and prevents new bacterial growth.
- Ultraviolet (UV) light: The HydroTap UltraCare incorporates a MicroPurity UV-C LED module, which uses chemical-free, mercury-free, fail-safe technology to render bacterial cells incapable of reproduction.
The Zip HydroTap UltraCare system is the latest in a long line of innovations designed and manufactured at the company’s factory in Condell Park in Sydney’s west.
Zip Water has been recognised as a global innovator for 50 years, providing its products to hospitals, aged care facilities, corporate offices and hotels in 75 countries. The Zip HydroTap UltraCare system is available to hospitals and aged care facilities across Australia now. It is available in three tap designs: Classic, Accessible, or Touch-Free Wave, the company’s contactless answer to its signature HydroTap.
