Case Studies - December 2021

Children’s camp receives donation of tankless water heaters for campers’ living quarters

Problem: Anticipating 3,000 campers this year, Camp Cole near Columbia, South Carolina, offers the benefits of a children’s summer camp, while providing medical care and amenities necessary to guests battling serious illnesses. Providing hot water to multiple guest cabins presented the challenge of finding a system that could meet high demand and ensure safety.

Solution: Piedmont Plumbers installed a dozen tankless water heater units — Models NR98 and EZTR50 — donated by Noritz America, based on peak usage by 200 occupants. Constructed by Great Southern Homes, each building divides into two cabins. Two tankless water heaters were installed per building, each servicing a single cabin. Hooked in tandem, if one heater needs servicing, the other can temporarily service both cabins, even with multiple showers and sinks in use. “We had to think about functionality,” says camp co-founder and director Kelsey Carter. “It’s a camp, so there is a ton of dirt and grass. During the hotter months, kids will inevitably shower more. The system needs to keep up with demand, yet create a safe environment for the campers. Tankless water heaters were the obvious choices.”

Result: Great Southern Homes’ Eric Stephenson agrees that tankless technology was the best fit for the camp’s needs, both in- and off-season. “Not only will tankless meet the demand for large volumes of hot water during the summer, but during the winter when the camp is not operating daily, tankless water heaters allow the camp to run efficiently by not heating water when it’s not needed.” 714-433-2905; www.noritz.com

National chain of gas-station convenience stores finds alternative backflow-prevention solution

Problem: When a large, national chain of gas-station convenience stores remodeled hundreds of locations, they needed approved backflow preventers for their coffee-dispensing equipment. However, the backflow-prevention devices they’d used previously were expensive, heavy, backordered and not environmentally friendly, as varying levels of toxic materials can be present in even “lead-free” metallic fittings.

Solution: Working with a prominent national plumbing wholesaler, the customer chose to install VistaCheck backflow preventers from Vista Water Group for reliable, certified protection against back-siphonage, backpressure and cross-connections for their equipment. Available in PVC or hard-anodized aluminum, the backflow preventers are lightweight and durable, 100% free from lead and other hazardous chemicals, and completely non-reactive to chlorine and hard water.

Result: Switching from conventional brass or stainless steel backflow preventers has proved to be both cost-effective and convenient for the customer, and also more environmentally friendly. Beyond general use with standard water supply lines, VistaCheck models designed for beverage-dispensing equipment and post-mix carbonation systems are also available. 480-462-2707; www.vistawatergroup.com 

Water reuse for VA clinic obtains LEED Certification

Problem: A new VA Clinic in Sedalia, Missouri, wanted to reuse water as part of the clinic’s plan to attain LEED certification under the United States Green Building Council. Their desire was to collect wastewater from showers and lavatories, treat it to a quality suitable for reuse, and put it back into a separate water system furnishing flush valves in the lavatories. Estimated use by the flush valves is 250 to 300 gpd.

Solution: Engineers worked with Weber Industries to design a BioMicrobics BioBarrier MBR system to treat the wastewater. This unit is certified to NSF350 for water reuse. A 500 gpd unit was provided in a three-compartment tank. The first compartment receives wastewater, settles solids and is filtered by a Sanitee 1/16th filter as water flows to the second compartment containing the BioBarrier membranes and air grid. Air passing through the grid oxidizes any organics that may be in the water. Water is drawn through the membranes with pores of less than .04 microns by a pump discharging treated water to the third compartment. A Webtrol turbine pumps the water to a pressure tank where it is stored for demand at the flush valves.

Result: At 250 gpd, the clinic can save over 90,000 gallons per year of freshwater. Should water needs increase, the BioBarrier can double that amount. The clinic uses the savings of water resources towards their LEED Certification. 800-769-7867; www.webtrol.com