Purification at the final point of dispense has been the holy grail of drinking water dispensing, but it has proved to be expensive and elusive—until now. New from OASIS International, QUASAR bottle fillers harness the germ-obliterating power of UVC light in an energy-efficient, ecologically smart LED. QUASAR bottle filters achieve 99.99% reduction of common waterborne pathogens lingering in a facility’s pipes, including Legionella, Giardia, Listeria, Cryptosporidium, Shigella, and E. coli, among others—taking aim at these disease-causing pipe dwellers literally as the water flows from the dispense point and before the guest enjoys the newly purified water.

The science of QUASAR was inspired by a particularly vexing bacterium. Since 2000, the rate of reported cases of Legionnaires’ disease has increased by 550 percent. This pneumonia-like disease is so serious that it kills one in 10 people who get it (and an astonishing one in four if the infected person has a compromised immune system).

“With Legionella already in most water systems, treating the water at the point of dispense is the best defense against infection,” says Lou Busick, vice president of innovation at OASIS International. “But until now, there hasn’t been a way to do that. QUASAR is the best possible solution for environments with vulnerable populations—health care facilities, schools, offices—and anywhere sanitation is crucial.”

“UVC LEDs changed the game in how we approach creating healthy water systems,” says Tu Dile, OASIS engineering manager. “By designing a bottle filler that can disinfect water right at the point of dispense, we practically eliminate the possibility of contamination.”

Using UV light to disinfect water is not a new technology, but previous systems were slow, expensive, short-lived, and required dangerous materials such as mercury. The UVC LEDs in QUASAR provide sterilizing UV light with a small footprint, long life, low energy consumption, and without dangerous chemicals.

Because QUASAR’s exclusive UVC LED is active directly at the dispense point, it has a number of additional advantages. First, it not only disinfects the water, but the dispense point itself, thus protecting its surface from any errant finger pokes or other contact that might carry bacteria. Second, UVC LEDs won’t heat the water, assuring a refreshing draw every time. Cool operation also means no fouling, no scaling, and no mineral deposits.

QUASAR marks a bold new step forward from OASIS and strategic partner AquiSense Technologies, the world’s largest supplier of UVC LED disinfection systems.