Lesson 3 - Water SAQ
This lesson allows you to test yourself on the material covered in the Water lesson and determine the level to which you have met the learning outcomes.
Suggested Response - Q5
** Discuss whether it is better to sterilise water at intake or at point of use, and what impact this could have across the water treatment process.
Response:
If you sterilise water at intake, water throughout the brewery will be sterile and if chlorine or chlorine dioxide is used then residual protection will be present. However, if the water you are treating will end up as product water, then chlorine needs to be removed. Chlorine removal can impact the entire water treatment process in the following ways:
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More carbon filters are needed for chlorine removal.
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Chlorine can also be removed in anion ion exchangers, meaning more frequent regeneration of the resin is required.
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Chlorine affects membrane filters, so it should be taken out before the water passes through them.
If you only sterilise at point of use, this can result in the entire water system being contaminated by any biological contamination.
Thus, it will depend on the incoming water quality whether you need to sterilise at intake and then remove the chlorine or whether you can wait for further downstream treatment.