The Benefits Of Closed-Channel UV Over Open-Channel Disinfection

The era of dumping waste into rivers is almost over. So says Jon McClean, Chief Technical Officer with ETS-UV, an Evoqua brand. McClean who has been working in UV water treatment for over 30 years recently sat down with Water Online Radio to discuss the growth of water reuse and specifically UV’s role in water reclamation.

“As we start to reuse some of these wastewater streams, we see problems that wastewater plants were never built or designed to accommodate,” says McClean. “For example, vitamins and hormones. When we were tipping them into the river, it wasn’t so much of a problem but now we’re faced with drinking recycled wastewater. We have to remove them safely.”

When looking for a solution, McClean suggests focusing on energy-efficiency and easy maintenance. For example, ETS UV’s systems are configured to place UV lamps in the right place to use the least power to disinfect fluid flow and designed to have a lifetime of 15 to 20 years.

For more on water reuse and to understand the trend towards closed-channel UV disinfection, listen here: