Methods and apparatus for cleaning or disinfecting a water delivery system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9686966-B2
Application number	US-201514694028-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2015
Priority date	Apr 30, 2014
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

Methods for cleaning or disinfecting water delivery systems, self-cleaning or self-disinfecting water delivery systems, and inserts for use in cleaning or disinfecting water delivery systems utilize cationic steroidal antimicrobial (CSA) molecules to kill microbes and/or break up biofilms within water delivery systems. The methods and systems involve adding CSA molecules to water to form an aqueous CSA composition and passing the aqueous CSA composition through the water delivery system, such as a water storage vessel and/or water delivery line to clean or disinfect the water delivery system. CSA molecules can be added to a water storage vessel, water delivery line, or well, such as by a solid or liquid CSA composition. A CSA-eluting composition may provide CSA molecules to water to form an aqueous CSA composition that passes through or is stored within the water delivery system. CSA molecules provided to agricultural animals in drinking water may improve animal health.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for cleaning or disinfecting a water delivery system, including breaking up biofilms, used in providing a supply of drinking water to a human or animal, comprising:
adding cationic steroidal antimicrobial (CSA) molecules to water to form an aqueous CSA composition; and
passing the aqueous CSA composition through a water delivery line of the water delivery system to break up biofilms in the water delivery line.

2. A method as in claim 1 , wherein the water delivery line provides drinking water to animals.

3. A method as in claim 2 , wherein the water delivery line provides drinking water to at least one of cattle, horses, sheep, swine, or poultry.

4. A method as in claim 2 , wherein the water delivery line provides drinking water to at least one of turkeys or chickens.

5. A method as in claim 2 , wherein the drinking water provides a quantity of CSA molecules in order to improve the health of the animals.

6. A method as in claim 1 , wherein the water delivery line provides drinking water to humans.

7. A method as in claim 1 , wherein the CSA molecules form complexes with metal ions or metal compounds in water passing through the water delivery line.

8. A method as in claim 1 , further comprising combining the CSA molecules with a liquid or solid to form a CSA delivery composition and contacting the CSA delivery composition with water in the water delivery line to form the aqueous CSA composition.

9. A method as in claim 1 , wherein the water delivery line forms part of a water delivery system comprised of a water storage vessel or well and one or more water lines in fluid communication with the water storage vessel or well that transport water to one or more locations.

10. A method as in claim 9 , wherein the one or more water lines comprise a plurality of pipes or conduits.

11. A method as in claim 10 , wherein the pipes or conduits are made of metal.

12. A method as in claim 9 , wherein the CSA molecules are added to water in the storage vessel or well.

13. A method as in claim 9 , further comprising mixing the CSA molecules with water to form a concentrated CSA composition and introducing the concentrated CSA composition into at least one of the storage vessel, well, or one or more water lines.

14. A method as in claim 1 , wherein the aqueous CSA composition is periodically passed through the water delivery line, and wherein water without the CSA molecules is periodically passed through the water delivery line.

15. A method as in claim 1 , further comprising applying a CSA-eluting composition to an interior surface of the water delivery line, the CSA-eluting composition releasing at least a portion of the CSA molecules added to the water to form the aqueous CSA composition.

16. A method as in claim 1 , further comprising applying a CSA-eluting composition to an interior surface of a water storage vessel upstream from the water delivery line, the CSA-eluting composition releasing at least a portion of the CSA molecules added to the water to form the aqueous CSA composition.

17. A method as in claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the CSA molecules are provided by a CSA-containing tablet, powder, or eluting device.

18. A method as in claim 17 , the method comprising placing the CSA-containing tablet, powder, or eluting device into a storage vessel upstream from the water delivery line.

19. A method as in claim 1 , wherein the water delivery line has a length of at least 1 meter, 5 meters, 10 meters, 25 meters, 50 meters, 100 meters, 1000 meters, or 5 kilometers.

20. A method as in claim 1 , wherein the water delivery system comprises a water storage vessel having a capacity of at least 10 liters, 50 liters, 100 liters, 500 liters, 1000 liters, 5000 liters, 10,000 liters, or 100,000 liters.

21. A method as in claim 1 , wherein the water delivery system comprises at least one water storage vessel of a confined animal feed operation.

22. A method as in claim 1 , wherein the water delivery system comprises at least one water storage vessel that provides drinking water to at least one of a house, building, or human.

23. A method for cleaning or disinfecting a water delivery line, including breaking up biofilms, that delivers drinking water to animals, comprising:
adding cationic steroidal antimicrobial (CSA) molecules to the water delivery line to form an aqueous CSA composition; and
passing the aqueous CSA composition through the water delivery line to break up biofilms in the water delivery line and provide water that is safe for animals to drink.

24. A method as in claim 23 , further comprising introducing water from the water delivery line to a drinking trough or vessel from which one or more animals drink.

25. A method as in claim 23 , wherein the aqueous CSA composition provides a quantity of CSA molecules that, when ingested by the animals, improves the health of the animals.

26. A method as in claim 23 , wherein the animals are located in a confined animal feed operation.

27. A method as in claim 23 , wherein the animals are selected from the group of cattle, horses, sheep, swine, poultry, and combinations thereof.

28. A method as in claim 23 , wherein the CSA molecules provide at least one of the following:
reduced harmful bacteria in a digestive tract of an animal;
increased beneficial bacteria flora in the digestive tract of the animal;
improved feed conversion efficiency by the animal;
reduced morbidity of the animal;
reduced mortality of the animal; or
harvested meat from the animal having a reduced content of harmful bacteria.

29. A method for cleaning or disinfecting a water delivery system, including breaking up biofilms, comprised of a water storage vessel or well and a water delivery line in fluid communication with the water storage vessel or well, the method comprising:
adding cationic steroidal antimicrobial (CSA) molecules to water to form an aqueous CSA composition having a concentration of CSA molecules in a range of 0.5 ppm to 5000 ppm; and
passing the aqueous CSA composition through at least one of the water delivery line or the water storage vessel or well to break up biofilms within the at least one of the water delivery line or the water storage vessel or well.

30. A method as in claim 29 , wherein the water delivery system provides drinking water to animals or humans.

31. A method as in claim 29 , wherein the water delivery system is configured to deliver water to houses and buildings.

32. A method as in claim 29 , wherein the water delivery system comprises the well, and wherein adding the CSA molecules to water to form the aqueous CSA composition comprises introducing the CSA molecules into the well.

33. A method as in claim 29 , wherein the water delivery system comprises the water storage vessel, and wherein adding the CSA molecules to water to form the aqueous CSA composition comprises introducing the CSA molecules into the water storage vessel.

34. A method as in claim 33 , wherein the water storage vessel comprises a drinking trough or vessel from which one or more animals drink.

35. A method as in claim 34 , wherein the one or more animals are located in a confined animal feed operation.

36. A method as in claim 34 , where

Assignees

• Beus Chad S
• Savage Paul B
• Univ Brigham Young

Inventors

• Beus Chad S
• Savage Paul B

Classifications

• C02F2303/04

  Disinfection · CPC title

• B08B3/08

  the liquid having chemical or dissolving effect · CPC title

• A61K31/575

  substituted in position 17 beta by a chain of three or more carbon atoms, e.g. cholane, cholestane, ergosterol, sitosterol · CPC title

• A01N33/08

  containing oxygen or sulfur · CPC title

• C02F2307/14

  Treatment of water in water supply networks, e.g. to prevent bacterial growth · CPC title