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Don't blame my baby: It could be your reused water
We recycle…Should you?
At Case Medical, we recycle the water we use for production purposes like anodizing and passivating our metal containers, trays, and metal component parts. Our water reuse is planned. That means that we filter the used water before it goes into the tank for the next use. Then when we are done, our wastewater treatment system separates the “clean” water for direct release into the wastewater stream and we pay for a company to take away the waste or sludge. Last week, we spoke about water treatment without harm. This week, I want to share a story about how we lost an account, because of the results of an investigation, which led directly to the problem of “reused” water in a cart washer.
The investigation
We were asked to go to a facility where their containers (ours) were stripped and now, there are intermittent failures or limitations when used in their low temp sterilizer. We were told that they had very hard water and while an RO system was planned for in the future, for now they used utility water or perhaps softened water which is how most of the water in their facility is treated. I learned from their service technician that the containers were decontaminated in the cart washer using the case cart cycle (any other cycle took too much time). Further the wash water was reused 10 times, with more chemicals each time and bioburden, before the reservoir was dumped. When I asked if they filtered the water before it is reused, neither the supervisors nor the service technician had ever heard of filtering the water. Am I missing something? No one heard about filtration or certainly the advantage of filtration for water treatment or water reuse.
EPA does not require or restrict any type of reuse
While it is up to the states, FDA does say to refer to the Safe Drinking Act and the Clean Water Act to protect water quality. According to the EPA, “Recycling water or water reuse …reclaims water from a variety of sources then treats and reuses it for beneficial purposes such as agriculture and irrigation, potable water supplies, groundwater replenishment, industrial processes, and environmental restoration. Water reuse can provide alternatives to existing water supplies and be used to enhance water security, sustainability, and resilience.“ https://www.epa.gov/waterreuse/basic-information-about-water-reuse
Plan for water reuse
There are two definitions for water reuse: one is planned. The other is unplanned. Unplanned water reuse refers to situations in which the water source is composed of previously used water, like in the cart washer where water can be reused up to twenty (20) times or in the sonic where water is changed at the end of the shift or at end of the day. While there are lots of good reasons to recycle water for agriculture, landscaping, for industrial purposes, like ours metal finishing, and even environmental restoration, and when properly treated for municipal water supplies. Given the concerns about cross contamination, and chemical damage to medical devices, now might be just the right time to do something and plan for water reuse.
Recycle safely
Imagine washing your car with paint thinner and reusing it on your partner’s car too and then blaming the car company when the paint was damaged. We have thousands of containers in continuous use for over two decades. They are used for steam and in low temperature sterilization and our IFU clearly says how to preserve them. It’s simple! Use pH neutral cleaners or enzymatic cleaners to wash, and then thoroughly rinse with “clean” water. If you must reuse the wash water, consider filtering between uses, and always rinse with clean preferably high purity water. Remember the patient. We can help you here.
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Visit us in Louisville KY, for the HSPA annual conference. Join us Saturday at our hands-on workshop to learn more about water quality science.
Kindest Regards,
