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USICERINKS.COM JANUARY.FEBRUARY.2018 / 37 Great quality ice requires great quality water Every ice facility around the world, big or small, aims for the same goal: high- quality ice on all of their sheets. Any time we are discussing ice and ice qual- ity, we need to know about the quality of the water being used for making the ice. So how do you get the right quality? And what types of things do you need to be aware of when testing, filtering and creating the perfect sheet of ice? Here are some things to consider when aiming for quality water and, in turn, quality ice. TDS Testing First, staff needs to know what to look for. We know that TDS or 'Total Dissolved Solids' is something easily tested for and needs to be controlled. TDS also is a gauge of the hardness of the water. If a company is brought in to test your water, make sure they understand that it is not drinking water you are trying to achieve but rather water best suited to make ice. Sometimes water can be declared good water for drinking but in reality makes lousy ice. Water filters are common on a good ice making machine in restaurants because the machine manufacturer knows the water needs to be free of TDS to make good ice cubes. The minerals in water that affect ice quality and clarity are things like Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Sodium, Sulfates and Bicarbonates. A good TDS number to make ice in a rink is 100 ppm or less for city water. If a system is going to be installed, 50 ppm is desired. On the flip side, it is also possible to have water that is too pure, which can cause issues as well. This is rare however, and when it does occur the ice temperature can be raised because there is nothing in the water that will impede the freezing process. Good Water = Energy Savings Some facilities have reported that treating their ice-making water has saved them enough money to pay for a water treatment sys- tem. This should be a serious consideration for facilities that have extremely poor water quality. Having operated RO (Reverse Osmosis) systems at the Olympics and other special events, and after speaking with several operators, there is little doubt that a refrigeration plant will not need to work as hard to freeze the water when it is low in TDS. The majority of arenas install- ing RO Systems have found that they can increase the surface temperature 2-4 degrees. Not only is this an energy savings, but the real benefit is better quality ice. Is Your Water Clean? Not every facility needs a water treatment system. City water can range in measurement anywhere from just less than 100ppm to more than 400ppm. City water quality can vary as it is dependent on the source and the season. It is not unusual for a town or city to have a number of different sources for their water supply. The water supply after a spring runoff can be quite different than the water available at the end of a long hot summer. The results of a water test will provide the answer whether or not the facility needs a water treatment system. If the test reading is at or below 100ppm on the TDS meter, the quality is acceptable to maintain good ice quality without a system. If, however, your reading is high in TDS, consideration should be given to a water treatment system. Water Treatment Systems Systems today are much more user-friendly and the RO systems use much less water in the process than they used to. The DI (deionized) systems that required chemicals and lots of mainte- nance are not used much anymore. The water systems are using RO which simply require filters and maybe some water softener salt. Investments in water quality will result in a more durable sheet of ice that will require less ice maintenance and a much clearer and higher quality skating surface! J by DAVE WESCOTT CIT, CPE , Testing and filtering your water will result in better ice quality. How is your water quality?