AN ADVANCED, ultraviolet (UV) light-water disinfection system has been installed at a water pumping station in UK. The system, developed by Hanovia Ltd, differs from earlier systems in that it can automatically regulate UV intensity in response to changes in water quality and water flow.

UV disinfection has normally been restricted to potable raw water supplies, with very low and consistent turbidity, colour and level of micro-organisms.

The new system, powerful enough to disinfect storm-contaminated water, is so designed, it combines high UV output and the ability to automatically increase the UV dose rate, in response to deteriorating water quality or increase in demand.

UV light from one of the two lamp chambers disinfects the water as it flows through. Monitoring devices measure the UV intensity penetrating the water and feed this information along with data on flow rate to the process unit, where the minimum dose for satisfactory disinfection is calculated and the lamp intensity adjusted accordingly.