HOW DOES THE OUTBACK READY SYSTEM WORK?
Q. How many people can The Outback Ready provide water for?
A. The Outback Ready system can produce enough drinking water for up to four people at one gallon per day for up to one year.
Q. How much water does The Outback Ready produce?
A. Up to 24 gallons of purified water every day and up to 1,800 gallons over the life of each filter system.
Q. What filters come with The Outback Ready system?
A. It comes with a Net Filter to remove large particles, a Sleeve Filter to remove microparticles, a Purifying Filter to eliminate bacteria, cysts, and viruses, and a Refining Filter to remove chemicals and contaminants.
Q. Can you buy extra filters for The Outback Ready system?
A. Yes. Extra filters are available for sale at outbackwater.com or in our Amazon store.
Q. Is The Outback Ready system easy to assemble?
A. Absolutely. Assembling The Outback Ready system takes less than five minutes.
Q. What type of water source can I use in The Outback Ready system?
A. It’s always best to use clear water from a fresh source like streams, creeks, rivers, ponds and lakes. But you can also use water from swimming pools, rainwater collection, water heaters, spas, and untreated stored water.
Q. Is The Outback Ready portable?
A. Yes, just grab the handle and go. Portability was an important factor when designing the system, in the event someone was forced to leave their home.
Q. What makes The Outback Ready system better than other emergency water filtration systems?
A. Effectiveness, simplicity and true portability make The Outback Ready a superior water filtration system. This is a rugged and reliable system that can save lives during an emergency and protect people who live in underdeveloped areas. All without chemicals or the need for power.
Q. Does The Outback Ready system improve the taste of water?
A. Yes. The high-capacity, Refining Filter removes any “off” taste or smell before the water enters the lower, purified water container leaving nothing but clean, good-tasting water.
Contents
Q. How does The Outback Ready work?
A. Using nothing but gravity and our patented, four-stage filter system, The Outback Ready system provides purified water that meets EPA standards*. *https://www.epa.gov/dwreginfo/drinking-water-regulations
Q. How many filtration stages does The Outback Ready provide and what are they?
A. Our patented system provides four separate but equally-important stages of filtration: Stage 1 – The Pre-Filter Net. This pre-filter fits over the mouth of the source-water pail. It removes large particles and debris. Stage 2 – The Filter Sleeve. In the source-water pail, this pre-filter fits over the fibrous purification filter and removes finer particles like sand and sediment. Stage 3 – The Fibrous Purification Filter. Inside the purified water pail, this filter removes water-borne microorganisms such as bacteria, cysts and viruses. Stage 4 – The Multimedia Cartridge. Installed in the purified water pail to remove a multitude of chemicals, pesticides, organic contaminants as well as any “off” flavor or smell.
Q. How do I know when it’s time to replace The Outback purification and multimedia filters?
A. The easiest way to know when to replace your filters is when you notice a reduction in flow from the system. But based on years of field trials: – The Pre-Filter Net and Filter Sleeve can be washed and reused, and should need replacing based on what’s recommended in the user manual. – The Fibrous Purification Filter needs to be replaced every 6 months. – The Multimedia Cartridge should be replaced after 12 months or once it has reached its rated capacity (up to 1800 gallons). Using the clearest possible water source, a settling bucket and keeping the pre-filter sleeves clean will help prolong the life of your filters.
Q. What is "Nanofiltration" and how does it work?
A. Nanofiltration is a method of capturing microorganisms by employing a fibrous filter with an opposite electric charge to attract and absorb contaminants. Most particles are electronegative in water, which means an electropositive filter is highly effective. This fibrous media consists of small filters, two nanometers in diameter, which are dispersed throughout a cellulose, polymetric, micro glass fiber matrix which results in a 2-micron pore size filter media. A single layer of this media can capture more than 99% of viruses 0.025 micron in size. This type of filter is pleated to produce a high surface area with maximum flow rate and minimal pressure drop. They can also be used to form multilayer filters capable of capturing virus size particles at a rate greater than 99.9999%.
Q. What type of material are The Outback Ready buckets made from?
A. High density polyethylene plastic (HDPE). This is BPA free, FDA approved and food-grade plastic that’s also used in food packaging such as milk and snack packs.
Q. What is the difference between cysts, bacteria and viruses?
A. The difference between the three most common pathogenic (capable of causing disease) microorganisms are:
Bacteria: Single-celled organisms that lack well-defined nuclear membranes, other specialized functional cell parts, and also reproduce by cell division or spores. These could be free living organisms or parasites that range from 1 - 10-micron in length and 0.2 - 1-micron in width.
Cyst: A capsule or protective sac produced by many protozoans, as well as some bacteria and algae, as preparation for entering a resting or specialized reproductive stage. Generally 2 - 50-micron in diameter.
Virus: A parasitic infectious microbe composed almost entirely of nucleic acid which can cause disease in humans. Viruses can only reproduce within living cells, and they are 0.004 - 0.1-micron in size, about 100 times smaller than bacteria.
Q. What is a settling bucket and when should you use one?
A. A settling bucket is used to collect untreated water so sediment, dirt, and fine particles can “settle” at the bottom. One is recommended to prevent premature filter “exhaustion” when untreated water contains a large amount of fine silt, sand, etc.
FILTRATION Versus PURIFICATION – WHAT DOES THE OUTBACK REMOVE?
Q. What’s the difference between a water “purifier” and a water “filter?”
A. By EPA standards, to be considered a “water purifier” a device must remove microorganisms at a rate of: 99.9999% for bacteria, 99.9% for cysts, and 99.99% for viruses.
Q. Does The Outback Ready system qualify as a purifier?
A. Yes. The Outback Ready meets the EPA’s standards for “purifier.”
Q. Does The Outback Ready system remove bacteria?
A. Yes. The Outback Ready system effectively removes more than 99.9999% of bacteria like E. coli and Cholera from water.
Q. Does The Outback Ready remove cysts
A. Yes. Our system removes more than 99.99% of cysts like giardia and cryptosporidium, exceeding EPA standards.
Q. Does The Outback Ready system remove viruses?
A. Yes. Our patented, emergency water filtration technology removes more than 99.99% of viruses such as coronaviruses, hepatitis and polio from water.
Q. Does The Outback Ready system remove chemical contamination?
A. Yes. The Outback Ready uses a mixed blend combination of carbon (multimedia) formulated to remove a long list of contaminants.
Q. Will The Outback Ready system remove salt from the water?
A. No. The Outback Ready is not designed to remove salt from water.
HISTORY, EFFECTIVENESS and RELIABILITY – PROVEN THROUGH LONG-TERM USE AND TESTING
Q. How long has The Outback Ready system been used for treating water?
A. For over 20 years our system has provided life-protecting water at home and around the world.
Q. Who uses The Outback Ready system?
A. Individuals, small groups, and relief organizations like The Peace Corps use The Outback Ready system for humanitarian aid and emergency water filtration preparedness.
Q. Is it necessary to worry about removing viruses?
A. Yes. Multiple studies have shown that viruses (including those from human fecal matter) are common in groundwater, and a study in Minnesota showed that 24% of tap water is virus positive.
Q. Has The Outback Ready been tested by an independent certified laboratory?
A. Yes. The Outback Ready has been tested multiple times by certified, third-party, independent laboratories both in the U.S. and by the first lab in South Asia recognized by the Water Quality Association
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE OUTBACK READY SYSTEM AND THEIR USE
Q. Should I flush The Outback Ready system before use?
A. Yes. Discard the first few gallons of water to get rid of any carbon dust that might be present in a new filter. Please note: carbon dust is not harmful if swallowed.
Q. What is the size of The Outback Ready system?
A. Unassembled The Outback Ready measures 12” x 12” X 15”. Fully assembled it measures 12” x 12” x 24”.
Q. How much does The Outback Ready system weigh?
A. Empty, the whole system weighs just 6 lbs but it can weigh up to 48 lbs when full of water.
Q. How long can The Outback Ready and its filters be stored?
A. Indefinitely, as long as it's left in its original packaging and not stored in direct sunlight.
Q. Does The Outback Ready system need chemicals to remove bacteria, cysts and viruses?
A. No. The Outback Ready is extremely effective at turning dirty water into clean, safe drinking water without chemicals or power.
Q. Do you ship The Outback Ready outside of the United States?
A. Yes. We ship to customers around the world.
Q. Does The Outback Ready come with a warranty?
A. Yes. The Outback Ready and its components are covered under a normal-use, one-year warranty.
Q. Is The Outback Ready made in the U.S.A.?
A. Every component of The Outback Ready is made in the United States except the pre-filter net and sleeve, which are made in Ontario, Canada.
Q. Is there a patent on The Outback Ready system?
A. Yes. The Outback Ready system is a patented product.