Installation of a reverse osmosis water treatment system in LAR

Project Summary/Abstract: The tap water at Wright State University (WSU) has a history of contaminants present to include lead, high salt levels, and other known and unknown contaminants. The Ohio EPA confirmed that the aquifer that supplies water to WSU is particularly susceptible to contamination due to physical factors such as depth and lack of a confining layer. Though the potable water at WSU meets EPA requirements for human consumption, a number of principal investigators believe the water is jeopardizing their laboratory animal research results. This proposal is to fund the purchase and installation of a water treatment system to provide drinking water to all research animals in the WSU Laboratory Animal Resources (LAR) vivarium. The water treatment system will include a water softener, reverse osmosis (RO) system, and a water bottle filling station. Pretreatment of water with a water softener is necessary due to high water hardness, which decreases the lifespan of RO system filters. After pretreatment, the RO system will remove 99% of contaminants from water and acidify it to prevent bacterial growth and biofilm formation. Acidified water will be piped to a water bottle filling station capable of filling up to 49 bottles simultaneously in less than 10 seconds, a significant operational efficiency. A pH meter is necessary to complete daily quality assurance checks of the system. The water softener and RO water treatment system will be in continual operation with processed water stored in a 485 liter storage tank. The bottle filling station will be used to fill approximately 1,200 bottles to be used for research animal drinking water each week. Properly maintained, this water treatment system will remain in operation and continue to benefit the WSU biomedical research program for up to 15 years, and the bottle filler will last for 20 or more years before replacement is necessary.