Losing no water in the wash

A Cape Town-based company is doing its bit to help with the harsh reality of drought and water restrictions. On October 1 it launched a laundry washing process that does not make use of municipal water supply.

Green Planet Laundry makes use of 100-percent purified borehole water. Additionally, 50 percent of the (grey) water used in its machines is recycled, further reducing the amount of ground water required.

Water is extracted from a borehole, then purified using a custom-built water purification system to remove any contaminants. The water is then ozonated for sanitation.

The process requires ambient air to be compressed and then dried. This dry air is then fed through oxygen (O₂) concentrators to 95-percent pure O₂, which is fed into “Corona Discharge” ozone cells, from which ozone gas (O₃) is produced. The ozone is injected into the treated borehole water.

The recycled water is recovered and cleaned then also treated with the same circulating and controlled ozone process. This kills any bacteria and prepares the water to be used again as prewash or wash water in the next cycles.

There are said to be numerous benefits to this process. Ozone gas oxidises soils and eliminates microbes in the linen, leaving clothing clean, sanitised and soft. It acts as a biocide, controlling odours and killing viruses and bacteria. It has disinfectant capabilities up to 150-percent more powerful than chlorine. Linen life is increased by up to 50 percent. Fabrics feel softer, and are noticeably whiter.

Furthermore, solar energy powers the entire water purification system, including the borehole, making the system environmentally neutral.