Industrial UV water disinfection systems sterilise large quantities of water with high-frequency light in the UV-C spectrum. The UV-C light denatures the DNA in microorganisms including bacteria, viruses, moulds and algae.
UV disinfection is widely used in industrial water treatment applications to eliminate bacteria and other microorganisms from water. It can also remove chlorine, chloramines, ozone, bromine and other organic contaminants without affecting the colour, taste or water pH, allowing it to meet various disinfection requirements.
Below, we will cover how UV disinfection is used in water treatment and what it is used for.
UV light in the water disinfection process
UV is a tertiary treatment process that follows primary and secondary treatment stages.
UV disinfection is most effective at purifying water that has undergone treatment through reverse osmosis. This distilled water can be treated with UV to achieve high purity, so that it is biologically inert for use in a wide range of applications.
Flow rates with UV water disinfection systems can run as high as 2,000m3/hr so they can slot into water treatment processes seamlessly. However, the system needs to be correctly sized so that it can meet treatment capacity requirements.
Chlorine replacement
UV can replace chlorine in water treatment processes. It destroys up to 99.99% of microorganisms and removes organic contaminants without the need for chemicals.
Chlorine is highly toxic and is under heavy scrutiny today because of its environmental impact. It also costs a lot of money to store and transport and the people who handle it need to be trained. UV can be used as a permanent replacement or when chemicals cannot be added to the water treatment process.
Sterilising water
The main application for UV disinfection is water sterilisation due to its effectiveness and efficiency. Some of the end-use applications include:
- Potable water
- Water in the food and beverage industries
- Water for pharmaceutical use (saline and sterile water)
- Water in air conditioning and coolant systems
- Water in building and construction
- Water in manufacturing (manufacturers, such as semiconductor fabs and liquid sugar manufacturers, require precise water specifications)
Treating water to specification
Precise water specifications are needed in many manufacturing processes to assure the high-quality production of parts. For example, finishing processes in the automotive and aerospace industries require precise water specifications.
Precise water specifications are also needed in the pharmaceutical and medical industries, including for saline water and sterile water production.
Combined with reverse osmosis, UV disinfection can produce pure, pharmaceutical-grade water that has the highest chemical qualities. No antimicrobial agent or chemical is needed, so the osmolarity and pH can be closely controlled.
Overall
UV disinfection can be used when chemicals such as chlorine and antimicrobial agents are restricted for process reasons. The performance and efficiency of these systems, combined with them needing no chemicals, has made them a popular choice in water treatment plants as a direct replacement for chlorine treatments.
Membracon supports the world’s biggest names in manufacturing to provide clean water solutions. Our UV water disinfection systems can help you produce sterile water for any use case. Call us on +44 (0)1902 458501 for a chat.
