Vessel UV Systems for Wastewater Reuse

Wastewater reuse has been practiced in various forms for decades, with the USA leading the way in reuse research. It is now a major issue worldwide, with large areas of western and southern USA experiencing chronic water shortages. Large-scale reuse projects are now also being considered in other water-poor regions of the world such as Australia, Singapore, China and southern Europe.

The most common method of wastewater disinfection for reuse has long been chlorination. Despite chlorine's impressive track record, concerns regarding disinfection by-products (DBPs) and, more recently, disinfection performance with respect to pathogen inactivation, are driving the conversion from chlorine disinfection to other disinfection methods such as UV, which does not produce any significant DBPs.

Closed vessel UV systems are easy to install within existing pipework, so there is minimal disruption to plant operation. Day to day operation is simple and maintenance is minor. The only regular requirement is changing the UV lamps and wiper rings once a year, a straightforward operation that can be carried out by on-site personnel.

Potential applications for wastewater reuse are extremely wide-ranging and include any instance where water is needed for non-potable use. The most popular and widespread use is for agricultural irrigation and for other irrigation applications such as golf courses, parks, fountains and lawns. Reclaimed wastewater is also used for groundwater recharge applications such as aquifer storage and recovery or preventing saltwater intrusion in coastal aquifers. Other uses include toilet and urinal flushing, fire fighting, foundation stabilization in the construction industry and artificial snow generation. In all these applications, reused wastewater relieves the burden on existing potable supplies.