Innovative Approaches for Validation of Ultraviolet Disinfection Reactors for Drinking Water Systems
Project Overview
In 2013, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) initiated a four-year project to develop and document new approaches to the implementation of ultraviolet (UV) disinfection for drinking water systems. Recognizing our expertise in UV technologies, USEPA awarded the project to Carollo who teamed with The Cadmus Group, a strategic and technical consultancy that works closely with USEPA on developing key guidance documents.
Carollo developed four new approaches to UV dose monitoring that improve the accuracy and robustness of compliance monitoring while simplifying UV-system implementation and reducing capital and operating costs. To demonstrate the proposed methods, Carollo field-tested the UV technologies at the Portland UV Validation Test Facility. Furthermore, we prepared detailed methods, quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) criteria, checklists, and validation report outlines for the four methods as well as UV dose values for 6-log pathogen-reduction applicable to potable reuse.
The goal of these efforts was to provide a framework for UV implementation that instills confidence in the validated technologies’ abilities to achieve disinfection objectives. To gain industry acceptance, Carollo led a two-year effort to receive feedback on the proposed methods from scholars, UV system manufacturers, consultants, and regulators whose concerns, questions, and suggestions were systematically addressed.
In the end, the published USEPA report, Innovative Approaches for Validation of Ultraviolet Disinfection Reactors for Drinking Water Systems, received broad-based buy-in and the new approaches are currently being adopted by UV system manufacturers, utilities, and state regulators.
Results and Highlights
A now widely adopted USEPA guidance document simplified approaches to UV validation.
Four new UV-dose-monitoring algorithms that foster cost-effective, robust, and simplified implementation of UV disinfection for drinking water and potable reuse applications.
QA/QC criteria for UV validation, checklists, and validation report outlines.
Industry support from regulators, utilities, scholars, consultants, and UV system manufacturers.
