Billi 440 Quadra Tap User Guide

: June 13, 2024
: Billi

Table of Contents

Introduction
What is in our tap water?
Types of Water Filters
Evaluating and Selecting Water Filtration Systems
References
Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
Download This Manual (PDF format)

BETTER WATER QUALITY
A Guide to Specifying Water Filtration Systems
for Health and Wellbeing Billi 440 Quadra Tap

Introduction

Billi 440 Quadra Tap - Figure 1

Access to clean, fresh water is fundamental to living a healthy life. Drinking enough water each day is crucial for many reasons: it helps regulate body temperature, keeps our immune systems strong, delivers nutrients to cells, and keeps our organs functioning properly. In addition, staying well hydrated improves sleep quality, cognition and mood.
Due to the changing climate, rising pollution levels and Australia’s rapidly growing population, the demand for clean drinking water has never been higher. The government has a duty to provide Australians with safe drinking water, but despite their best efforts, water quality at the point of consumption may not always be beneficial to our short or long-term health goals.
Tap water can contain many impurities, both natural and artificial.
Some are harmless, only affecting the way water looks, tastes or smells. However, other contaminants can spread infection, or slowly damage the health of end users over time.
Filtering tap water ensures you have a safe, clean water supply, with obvious benefits to health and wellbeing. Filtering tap water can decrease exposure to the numerous known carcinogens and chemicals in tap water. It also improves the taste and smell of tap water, encouraging users to drink water more often. Not only does drinking more water lead to overall greater health and energy, but the fluoride found in tap water also promotes better dental health.
For these reasons, many Australians are considering water filtration systems to meet basic hydration needs. There is a wide variety of water filtration solutions on the market, but relatively little awareness in relation to what contaminants are removed by different filter types, and the life expectancies of filtration systems.
In this whitepaper, we consider what contaminants are commonly found in tap water, and take a close look at what types of filtration are available to achieve the best fit for purpose.

“Tap water can contain many impurities, both natural and artificial.
Some are harmless, only affecting the way water looks, tastes or smells.
However, other contaminants can spread infection, or slowly damage the health of end users over time.” Billi 440 Quadra Tap - Figure
2

What is in our tap water?

Sediment
When water from the tap is discolored or has particles floating in it, this could be a result of sediment from the water distribution system. A very fine layer of minerals or other sediments can make its way into the water we drink from deteriorating pipework, building fit-out and new construction works, and runoff.
Chemicals added to water
Chemicals such as chlorine, aluminum sulphate, fluoride and ammonia are added to tap water to ensure that it is safe and healthy to drink. This can result in tap water that has a lingering taste and smell of disinfectant. Many people opt for a water filtration system just to eliminate the taste of chlorine.
Lead
Lead can leach into water supplies after prolonged contact with old piping and fittings. In 2016, research by Macquarie University found excessive levels of copper and lead in domestic water samples across New South Wales.
The ingestion of lead poses a serious health risk, especially for children who can develop behavioral and learning problems, slowed growth and anemia. Billi
440 Quadra Tap - Figure 3
Nitrates
Nitrates are commonly found in public water supplies in rural areas or private water systems, and are often attributed to the runoff from fertilisers. In Western Australia, some regional towns reported high nitrate levels in their water supply, with some experts positing a link between such contaminants and the prevalence of kidney disease in the local population.
Microbiological risks
Harmful bacteria and viruses can make their way into tap water via many different sources, including sewage spills and animal waste. Some pathogens, including Legionella bacteria, can survive in water even after it has been treated.
Other waterborne microbial threats include Escherichia coli (E. coli), Salmonella, Giardia and Cryptosporidiosis.
Pollution
Pollutants that contaminate public water supplies can come from a wide range of diffuse sources, including agricultural activities, industrial activities, and road works. Sometimes natural disasters can have an adverse impact on the quality of our tap water. For example, in 2020, local drinking water had to be disconnected temporarily from Warragamba Dam in New South Wales due to concerns regarding bushfire pollution. Billi 440 Quadra Tap - Figure
4

Types of Water Filters

Point-of-use water filters
Point-of-use (POU) water filters are designed to reduce or remove waterborne contaminants, including pathogens, right at the end of the water system at the faucet. There are several types of POU systems available on the market, each with different advantages and disadvantages.

Water jugs. This is the simplest form of water filtration. While they are convenient and easy to use, water jugs need to be constantly refilled, and their filter cartridges have a short lifespan.
Tap mounted. This type of water filtration system features a water filter mounted directly onto the faucet. While economical, tap-mounted filters tend to slow the flow of water and some cannot be installed on all types of taps.
Countertop. A countertop water filtration system connected to the tap can filter large amounts of water without any major plumbing modifications.
However, such systems can clutter the kitchen workspace, and some are not compatible with all taps.
Under bench. This type of water filtration system is designed to fit entirely under the sink or benchtop.
It can filter large amounts of water without cluttering up the countertop or attaching to an existing tap, and often uses advanced multi-stage water purification processes.
Floor-standing units. These units are standalone filtered water dispensers or water coolers/ heaters connected to water mains. They are larger appliances that require their own floorspace, but this can be easily traded off against not needing joinery or a kitchen space.

Filter mediums
The water filtration systems described above utilise different types or combinations of filter mediums. Which one is suitable for your specific application depends on what contaminants need to be filtered out. Some common filter mediums are outlined below.

Sediment filters. These filters are designed to capture and remove sand, silt, dirt, and rust from water. Removal of these particles protects the water treatment system from clogging up too quickly.
Sediment filters come in a range of micron sizes, which determines what size particles can pass through the filter.
Activated carbon. Through a process called ‘adsorption’, contaminants adhere to the many pores within the carbon source. This filter medium is good for the removal of chlorine, chloroform, agricultural chemicals, organic substances, sediment, and magnesium. The system’s efficiency at removing contaminants will largely depend on its micron size and the quality of the system.
Ion exchange. This filter medium consists of a substance that exchanges one ion for another as water flows through it. It is used to remove heavy metals, fluoride and nitrates, but it does not remove sediment, microbes or chlorine.
Reverse osmosis. A multi-stage filtration system incorporating various sediment and carbon filters as well as a semi-permeable membrane. It is highly effective at removing contaminants such as fluoride, arsenic, nitrates/nitrites, copper, radium, and salt.
Ultraviolet (UV). UV water filters use a specific wavelength from the UV light spectrum to destroy or render inert bacteria, algae and parasites, and reduce cysts. To be at their most effective, UV filtration systems must be on the UVC spectrum (the most germicidal form of UV radiation) and should be certified NSF 55 Class A and P231.

Evaluating and Selecting Water Filtration Systems

Key considerations
When choosing a water filtration system, the main considerations relate to the type of contaminants that need to be removed from the water, and how much drinking water is needed everyday. Water filtration systems for the home will have different capacity and flow requirements than commercial units, for example.
Other practical considerations include budget, space, access to electricity and water, customer support, and maintenance costs.
What does the filter remove?
The filter type you need will depend on what types of contaminants you are trying to remove from the water.
Sediment filters and activated carbon (depending on the micron rating) will likely be enough to deliver bettertasting drinking water for most applications. Reverse osmosis and UV purification may be needed where spread of infectious disease is a concern.
Most filters have a micron rating, which refers to the distance between pieces of filter media. The lower the micron rating, the finer the filtration. As a general guide:

A 5 micron water filter will sieve out particles that are visible to the naked eye.
A 1 micron water filter will remove particles that are not visible, but are less likely to reduce lead and heavy metals, or parasitic cysts.
A 0.2 micron water filter will sieve out particles, but also removes chlorine and organic chemicals, parasitic cysts Giardia and Cryptosporidium, lead and heavy metals.

The quality of the unit plays a large part in its effectiveness. Cheaper units provide mediocre filtration performance, and are expensive to run in the long term.
Some units will have lower quality filtration due to being made up of granules that are held together with a resin (therefore decreasing surface area). Cheaper filters also often result in ‘tracking’, where the incoming water supply takes the same pathway or ‘track’ thus negating any potential cleansing effects.
Is it accredited and certified?
Manufacturers make a lot of varied claims about their water filtration systems, making it difficult to be sure water filters will do what they say. In this regard, it is important to check if the product has been accredited and certified under the relevant product standards.
The Australian WaterMark Certification Scheme requires products, including water filters, to meet relevant standards to ensure they are safe and fit-for- purpose.
To achieve certification, the water filter must be tested by a recognised testing lab, comply with AS 3497:2021 “Drinking water treatment systems — Design and performance requirements”, be manufactured in accordance with an approved Quality Assurance Program; and carry a warranty.
The National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) is probably the most widely recognised independent international body that monitors products that affect food or water safety. The NSF publishes several standards directly relating to water treatment systems including:

NSF 53: Drinking Water Treatment Units – Health Effects;
NSF 58: Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Treatment Units;
NSF 58: Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Treatment Units; and
NSF 55: Ultraviolet Microbiological Water Treatment Systems.

Note that NSF 55 provides certification requirements for UV treatment systems that inactivate or kill bacteria, viruses and cysts in contaminated water (Class A systems) or to reduce the amount of non-disease causing bacteria in disinfected drinking water (Class B).
NSF Protocol P231 is a strenuous test used to certify microbiological water purifiers for health and sanitation.
While NSF standards are widely publicised, there are several equally well- accredited peer bodies, such as IAPMO R&T (International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials Research and Testing), that provide certification and testing in accordance with NSF standards.
How long will it last?
How long a filter will last before it needs to be replaced is dependent on multiple factors, including: how many contaminants are in the water; the hardness of the water; how often the filter is used; and the quality of the water filter.
Manufacturers should provide clear instructions for how often you should replace the filters in the system.
Some advanced filtration systems have indicators that will provide a warning that a filter needs to be replaced.
Higher quality appliances can go as far as to include hygiene protection features in-built to ensure the same filter is not used in multiple machines.
“The filter type you need will depend on what types of contaminants you are trying to remove from the water.” Billi 440 Quadra Tap - Figure
6

Billi Water Filters
Billi prides itself on offering world class water filtration products and continues to partner with global leading experts in all areas of water filtration. Partnering with BWT, Europe’s largest water treatment products company, Billi’s range of premium filters utilise the unique Fibron X technology. Fibron X technology uses activated carbon fibre with minimal bonding agents in a graded density profile. Due to this structure, Fibron X media has a superior contaminant reduction performance and capacity than conventional water filters.
This advanced multi-stage fi ltration system filters out particles in water, reduces chlorine and organic chemicals, and enables minerals to flow through the appliance without allowing scale. Certain high performance models can remove parasitic cysts Giardia and Cryptosporidium (994052 and 994060 only), and reduce lead and heavy metals (994052 and 994060 only).
Billi filters have been independently tested and certified by IAPMO to international standards and Australian Watermark. Billi filter performance testing is conducted in accordance with international standards NSF, WRAS, and Watermark.
Billi’s range of filters allow you to select the right filtration solution for your needs. The company’s 0.2 micron filter provides the highest level of fi ltration. The 5 micron filter provides a more standard option to improve your drinking water by removing sediment, chlorine and limescale which in turns improves taste and odour. The Billi range offers a solution that can cater to any home or work environment.
Genuine replacement Billi filters are available on their website and from your local approved supplier. Billi also offers extensive customer support and service plans to suit customers’ requirements. To make maintenance even easier, all Billi filters contain a digital protection device to ensure single use, hygiene and an ability to monitor water volume throughput.
For more information on Billi’s range of water filters, please visit billi.com.au/billi-filters

REFERENCES