What is UPW:
Ultra Pure Water is water that contains less than part-per-billion quantities of inorganic and organic molecules.
Bacteria can potentially grow in ultra-pure water systems, although it is less common than in systems containing nutrients and other impurities.
Ultra-pure water systems are designed to remove nearly all contaminants, including nutrients that bacteria need to grow.
However, some bacteria (Oligotroph) can survive in these stringent environments by adapting to the low-nutrient conditions, forming biofilms, or utilizing trace contaminants. Biofilms present in UPW systems may be several cell layers thick.
The dead cells accumulating in biofilms may themselves be used as a carbon source by successive generations of bacteria.
This phenomenon (called cryptic or hidden growth) in piping systems is a challenge to UPW users.
Industries using this high purity water :
- microelectronics and semiconductor industry (wafer cleaning)
- pharmaceutical industry
- steam generation (feedwater for the turbines)
- nuclear and thermal power plants
- laboratories and research institutions