Municipal drinking water and wastewater disinfection play an important role in ensuring the water supply and sanitation to urban, suburban and surrounding rural areas. Through the treatment of source water, the water flowing from consumers’ taps can be guaranteed to be clean and safe. Previously, municipal wastewater disinfection has been dominated by chlorination. With the today’s concept of environmental protection, whether for drinking water treatment or urban wastewater treatment, UV water treatment method has been proved to be the best option. Water reuse through UV water treatment is a popular trend in many countries and regions.
In the treatment process, UV light is often used to further disinfect the biologically treated water. Compared with traditional water chlorination treatment, UV water treatment has obvious safety advantages. UV water treatment can also ensure the pH value, free chlorine, chlorine dioxide, dissolved oxygen, oxidation reduction potential and maximum containment level of the treated water and other indicators can reach the wastewater disinfection standard from EU, USEPA and others. Therefore, in more and more municipal wastewater disinfection applications and wastewater treatment plants, UV solutions has become the preferred method. Using UV treatment is also significant in the saving of the initial investment and long-term operation.
Effects of UV on Harmful Microorganisms
The physical properties of UV determine its strong sterilization effect. Once microorganisms are exposed to UV radiation, they will no longer be able to replicate due to the damage in their DNA caused by the radiation. In this way, these microorganism will become inactive and its reproduction can be effectively controlled.
UV is the only economical water treatment method that releases no carcinogenic byproducts into the environment. Its superiority is also represented in its high treatment speed. When chlorination is applied, the dosage of the chemical and the treatment time need to be carefully set in order to get a favorable result. By comparison, UV radiation can instantly kill microorganisms in the water when working, which will significantly improve the efficiency of treatment.
In addition, UV water treatment has a wider range of sterilization over microorganisms. For chlorine-resistant microorganisms such as cryptosporidium or giardia, UV water treatment is also effective. Such chlorine-resistant microorganisms cannot be killed by the traditional chlorination method. Otherwise, if they are not killed in the treatment process, they will get access to the drinking water for daily use.
UVT (UV Transmittance)
There are many factors that may affect the normal operation of UV water treatment. Here, we will focus only on the UV transmittance (UVT) simply because it is related to both the UV dose and water quality.
We generally believe that UV intensity is the most important index when UV water treatment is carried out. In practice, however, it will be meaningful when the presence of suspended matter in the water and the scattering and absorption of UV light has been taken into consideration. The presence of suspended matter in the water will cause a reduction in the UV dose required to inactivate harmful microorganisms. UVT is expressed as a percentage of the extent to which UV light with a wavelength of 254 nm penetrates the water. This is an indicator to measure the demanded UV dose by measuring the suspended particulate matter and organic matter content in the water. It will provide an accurate dose of UV radiation needed for the water to be efficiently disinfected. UVT, UV light intensity and contact time are commonly used to measure the UV dose.
In UV water treatment, the UV dose, the content of pollutants in water, water quality, flow rate of the water are also the influencing factors to the final water quality.
For details, please go to our previously blog: Influencing Factors in the UV Water Treatment.
Design and Installation of a UV Water Treatment System
When selecting the required UV water treatment system, it is essential to get to know the design requirements and the associated constraints. Manufacturers or suppliers of UV water treatment equipment can provide technical support in this regard. Contaminants in the water, water flow and UV dose requirements should also be considered in the design of a UV water treatment system. For the differentiated needs from our customers, Puritor will design the UV water treatment systems in terms of the UV intensity, the number of UV lamps and water channels according to the flow rate of the influent. For the installation of the UV water treatment equipment, the conversion from the original chlorination treatment equipment to a UV system is not complicated. A set of UV water treatment equipment can be easily installed into an existed water treatment system.
The advantages of UV water treatment can be summarized in the following:
- UV water treatment is stable and reliable.
- Easier to operate than chemical treatments like chlorination.
- UV water treatment costs a lower level of power.
- By using UV radiation, there will be no wearing or tearing of components in the operation process.
- UV does not require the use of contact or storage tanks used in water chlorination.
- A UV water treatment system is relatively simple. Less maintenance work will be needed. Bulbs are usually replaced once a year.
- The investment cost of an UV water treatment system is lower than the up-front investment and in-service cost of a water chlorination system.
- UV water treatment does not involve the storage, use or handling of any hazardous chemicals.
- UV water treatment produces no disinfection by-products or residues.
- UV water treatment can even eliminate the residual chlorine in the water caused by the process of water chlorination.
- UV water treatment will not alter the original chemical properties of the water. As a result, the taste and smell of water can remain.
- UV water treatment can ensure that there will be no regeneration of harmful microorganisms after the treatment.
UV water treatment is highly efficient and cost-effective. But frankly speaking, it is not almighty. It should work with other water treatment method in order to get the best result. To get an objective overview of UV water treatment, please go to our blog: Advantages and Disadvantages of UV Water Treatment.
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