Frequently asked questions about biostream® products:

Is complete disinfection necessary – or is it sufficient to disinfect only the drinking water tank, for example?

We always recommend complete disinfection. If parts of the drinking water installation (pipes, boiler, etc.) are contaminated, a biofilm has often already formed which may contain dangerous germs such as legionella or pseudomonas.

These biofilms in certain pipe sections also migrate AGAINST the water flow. This is called „retrograde contamination“.
For this reason, numerous water sprinklers and dispensing systems are also contaminated, because germs are formed at the outlet tap (i.e. at the very end of the water-carrying pipe) through contact with the hand or oxidation with the air. These then migrate from there into the machine and/or line. Therefore, it makes sense to completely sterilize the entire water-carrying system once in order to ensure perfect drinking water. To counteract rapid recontamination of the drinking water, the incoming water should also be germ-free. In addition, only hoses approved for drinking water should be used for filling.

At what interval do I need to clean my tank?

„Can you make any statements about the cleaning interval?“

We are happy to refer here to the current DIN2001-2:2009-04, which stipulates that disinfection must be carried out if the limit values are exceeded and if microbiological contamination of the drinking water is suspected. Drinking water storage tanks in rented vehicles must be emptied by the operator after each rental and handed over in perfect condition. The system must be cleaned and disinfected every three months. This cleaning and disinfection must be carried out in accordance with DVGW worksheet W291. The biostream® products comply with this worksheet. The application of this standard is also recommended for privately used systems.

The three months just mentioned are taken from DIN2001-2:2009-04. This is a guideline value. However, our experience (and the experience of our customers) has shown that a cleaning interval can be very different. Why?

The following factors play a not insignificant role:

• Quality of the water that is tanked/bunkered (temperature, microbial condition).
• Quality of the hoses used to get the new water into the tank (storage location?, approved KTW drinking water hoses?)
• Age of the tank and piping (biofilm? What product was used for disinfection?)
• Are filters installed? How often are they changed?
• Ambient temperature
• Length of time the water has been stored in the tank? (Is the tank completely refilled? Do residuals remain in the tank? Standing times?)

You see: Numerous factors play a role when it comes to perfect drinking water. Therefore, there is no universal definition of what the perfect cleaning interval should look like. For this reason, there is the somewhat „spongy“ formulation „If microbiological contamination is suspected“ in the DIN standard mentioned above.

What else plays a role:
The quality of the incoming water (germs? bacteria?) and the ambient temperature are important factors when it comes to the issue of „re-germination“ of drinking or tank water. The structural condition (dead line, supply lines routed over the engine block) also plays a major role.

Our experiments at the University of Hanover under the direction of Prof. Dr. Werlein have shown that germination of drinking water can occur within four days! Here, the ambient temperature (summer), the retrograde germination and the usage interval were also decisive factors.

Therefore, please understand that we cannot make any reliable statement on the subject of „recontamination“.

Hydrogen peroxide is not a disinfectant? Correct.

„I use hydrogen peroxide for disinfection. Why should the biostream® products be better?“

Hydrogen peroxide is not a disinfectant, but only an oxidizing agent! In the current UBA list of the Federal Environment Agency, in which all approved disinfectants are listed, hydrogen peroxide is only listed as an oxidizing agent due to its low disinfection power.

According to DVGW worksheet W291 „Cleaning and disinfection of water distribution systems“, hydrogen peroxide must be used in a dosage 25 times higher to have the same disinfecting effect as the active ingredient chlorine dioxide used in biostream® products.

MMS from Dr. Humble

„Your products produce chlorine dioxide. Is your chlorine dioxide the same as Dr. Humble’s?“

As far as we know, Dr. Humble’s process generates a final product that is used to fight disease (malaria or cancer). Our products are not intended or approved to fight diseases. Our approvals according to the EU Biocide Directive and the EU Drinking Water Ordinance refer to the DISINFECTION OF DRINKING WATER – for the disinfection of drinking water in times of crisis, for emergency preparedness in case of blackout, power failure and other disaster situations.

Shelf life biostream® ZERO or biostream® asepticaPRO

„What is the shelf life of biostream® ZERO or biostream® asepticaPRO?“

Both products are supplied to you in two components: A bottle of liquid and a solid component. For the 250-milliliter containers, you receive a tablet that is inside the cap of the bottle – for the larger containers, you receive a separate bottle that receives a powder component. Stored dry, this product combo has a shelf life of 2 years. After activation (tablet added to the liquid or solid component added to the liquid), the product created after the reaction time has a maximum shelf life of 2 months. During this time you can effectively disinfect drinking water and effectively kill germs & bacteria (E.Coli, Pseudomonas, Legionella). Any biofilm present will also be destabilized.

Note: If larger containers are ordered (1, 5, 25, 60 liters), then the activation must be done COMPLETELY. Subsequent division into smaller containers is not possible, since the solid component is segregated („muesli effect“) and thus a standard-compliant activation is not guaranteed!

Combination biostream® asepticaPRO + ZERO

„Why do I need additional biostream® ZERO in a motor home?“

The content of one vial of biostream® asepticaPRO is sufficient for 100 liters of drinking / tank water. Any bacteria present, such as E.Coli, Legionella and Pseudomonads, are inactivated within minutes. The tank does not have to be rinsed out separately when the dosage is adhered to, as the active ingredient chlorine dioxide in biostream® asepticaPRO is approved for retention in drinking water according to the Drinking Water Ordinance.

However, since it has been shown in many cases that biofilms have already grown up in the tanks and pipes, we recommend a so-called basic sanitation. Here, biostream® ZERO is introduced into the tank in a higher dosage. According to DVGW regulation W291, the content of one bottle of biostream® ZERO (250 ml) is sufficient for 100 liters of tank content. After a reaction time of 30-45 minutes, the water must be completely drained from the tank. After that, the water-bearing system is sufficiently disinfected and the germs are killed. The next time the tank is filled, it is then sufficient to add only biostream® asepticaPRO.

If you are not sure of the extent of the growth caused by a biofilm in the tank and pipes, we recommend repeating the application.