When
it comes to drinking water, most of us now prefer the bottled spring
variety... pure uncarbonated water that bubbles up from the Earth "untouched by humans." In fact, we associate the term
"tap water" with chlorine, fluoride, and other chemicals
that have little to do with water.
The beauty
of Harbin's water supply is that our tap water is 100% spring
water. Some of the more elegant spas in our area pump their water
from man-made wells or, worse yet, rely on chlorine-treated water
from municipal water supplies. Here at Harbin, more than 50,000
gallons of mineral water flow daily from seven natural springs
on our property to you. Pure and simple.
That means
that you soak in natural hot spring water during your visit here.
You swim in cold spring water. You drink it from our fountains.
You brush your teeth with it. You cook with it. You shower in
it.
Our
Water Masters maintain the system of pipes, sand filters and holding
tanks to assure an uninterrupted flow of water throughout the
year. In conjunction with independent laboratories, they also
monitor the turbidity and purity of our water on an ongoing basis.
Recent test results have shown our tap water to be superior in
quality to the bottled variety from one of our more famous neighbors.
We're not surprised.
So drink it
up. Splash it around. Soak in it. Fill an empty bottle or two
for the ride home. We're glad to serve only nature's finest at
our humble retreat.
Where does Harbin's water come from?
Although there are numerous tiny springs all over the hills, seven
springs are currently being used by our water system: two hot
springs feed our hot/warm pool complex; four cold springs feed
the other pools and our main "tap water" tanks; one
warm arsenic spring (with only a trace of the mineral) flows into
the tiny footbath beside the warm pool. The water originates as
rainwater filtering down through the aquifer, a giant basalt cap
on Boggs Mountain. A "tail" of basalt curves down our
valley, providing a line of delicious cool water springing from
its lower edge.
How are
the pools heated?
According
to our pool system supervisor, two natural hot mineral springs
are the heart of the Hot and Warm Pool complex. These springs
arise from deep within the earth where volcanic action heats the
waters, with resulting steam pressure forcing the waters upward.
We capture the springs just before they reach the surface, combine
and filter the water, and then pipe it into the Hot Pool at a
rate of about 14 gallons per minute... over 800 gallons an hour.
No man-made
heating system is required for these two pools. Although the water
has cooled considerably by the time it reaches us and fills the
Hot Pool, the resulting pool temperature is approximately 113°
F. The hot water overflow from the Hot Pool is fed to the Warm
Pool at about 14 gallons per minute, supplying both heat and water
refreshment. This maintains the Warm Pool temperature at 96°
to 98° F., depending upon the season.
The Heart
Pool, Cold Plunge and Swimming Pool, in contrast, are filled and
refreshed with pure cold water from the same springs that feed
our drinking supply. The temperature in the Heart Pool is maintained
at 95° to 98° F. by an energy-efficient heat pump. The
temperatures of the Cold Plunge and Swimming Pool are adjusted as needed using cold and hot spring water.
What's in the pump house?
Water is constantly
being pumped from all pools and passed through a state-of-the-art
treatment system using absolutely no chlorine. Instead this system
combines filters, peroxide and ozone (peroxone) injection,
and ultraviolet sterilizers to remove all foreign matter and bacteria
before recirculating the water back to the pools.
More than
250 gallons per minute are passed through this system from the
Warm Pool alone, assuring that its water is completely cleaned
and replaced every hour. The Cold Plunge water
is replaced every hour.
How does the purification system work?
Peroxide is
water with an extra oxygen atom (H202), and ozone is oxygen gas
with an extra oxygen atom (03). When organics are encountered,
the extra oxygen atoms detach themselves reducing them and leaving
behind water and oxygen gas. No chemical additives such as chlorine
or bromine are necessary.
Peroxide levels
in the pool water are closely monitored and are adjusted to maintain
the water at well above minimum peroxide and ozone levels. If
the Warm Pool water appears cloudy at times, take a closer look.
You will see thousands of tiny oxygen bubbles at work, keeping
the water clean.
Our peroxone-ultraviolet
system is on the cutting edge of modern pool technology, and far
exceeds any health department pool-water standards. The high cost
of maintaining this system -- over $100,000 a year -- is more
than justified by our concern for health and naturalness. We hope
you agree.
Where does Harbin's irrigation water come from?
The water utilized for pool-area hosing – as well as lawn and garden irrigation – comes from the lively little creek that flows through the mainside area.
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