UV LED water disinfection: Validation and small system demonstration study

Natalie M. Hull; William H. Herold; Karl G. Linden

doi:10.1002/aws2.1148

UV LED water disinfection: Validation and small system demonstration study

Natalie M. Hull, William H. Herold, Karl G. Linden

Civil Engineering Department

University of Colorado Boulder

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

24 Scopus citations

Abstract

Disinfection by ultraviolet (UV) light via non-mercury light-emitting diodes (LEDs) may be a sustainable solution for drinking water disinfection in small systems. The world's first commercial UVC LED water disinfection reactor (the PearlAqua by Aquisense) was studied over a year-long demonstration test, and performance was compared side by side with an existing chlorination system at a small water treatment plant in Colorado. The UVC LED disinfection system was validated using MS2 bacteriophage inactivation over a range of flow rates and water UV transmittances. The reactor was also challenge-tested with MS2 periodically during the year-long demonstration. During lab tests and the field study in challenging conditions without any maintenance, the reactor demonstrated viral and bacterial disinfection efficacy and resilience equivalent to the chlorination system, providing proof of concept for application of UVC LEDs for municipal water treatment.

Original language	English
Article number	e1148
Journal	AWWA Water Science
Volume	1
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/aws2.1148
State	Published - 1 Jul 2019

Keywords

drinking water treatment
light-emitting diodes
MS2 bacteriophage
ultraviolet light

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10.1002/aws2.1148

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title = "UV LED water disinfection: Validation and small system demonstration study",

abstract = "Disinfection by ultraviolet (UV) light via non-mercury light-emitting diodes (LEDs) may be a sustainable solution for drinking water disinfection in small systems. The world's first commercial UVC LED water disinfection reactor (the PearlAqua by Aquisense) was studied over a year-long demonstration test, and performance was compared side by side with an existing chlorination system at a small water treatment plant in Colorado. The UVC LED disinfection system was validated using MS2 bacteriophage inactivation over a range of flow rates and water UV transmittances. The reactor was also challenge-tested with MS2 periodically during the year-long demonstration. During lab tests and the field study in challenging conditions without any maintenance, the reactor demonstrated viral and bacterial disinfection efficacy and resilience equivalent to the chlorination system, providing proof of concept for application of UVC LEDs for municipal water treatment.",

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T2 - Validation and small system demonstration study

AU - Hull, Natalie M.

AU - Herold, William H.

AU - Linden, Karl G.

PY - 2019/7/1

Y1 - 2019/7/1

N2 - Disinfection by ultraviolet (UV) light via non-mercury light-emitting diodes (LEDs) may be a sustainable solution for drinking water disinfection in small systems. The world's first commercial UVC LED water disinfection reactor (the PearlAqua by Aquisense) was studied over a year-long demonstration test, and performance was compared side by side with an existing chlorination system at a small water treatment plant in Colorado. The UVC LED disinfection system was validated using MS2 bacteriophage inactivation over a range of flow rates and water UV transmittances. The reactor was also challenge-tested with MS2 periodically during the year-long demonstration. During lab tests and the field study in challenging conditions without any maintenance, the reactor demonstrated viral and bacterial disinfection efficacy and resilience equivalent to the chlorination system, providing proof of concept for application of UVC LEDs for municipal water treatment.

AB - Disinfection by ultraviolet (UV) light via non-mercury light-emitting diodes (LEDs) may be a sustainable solution for drinking water disinfection in small systems. The world's first commercial UVC LED water disinfection reactor (the PearlAqua by Aquisense) was studied over a year-long demonstration test, and performance was compared side by side with an existing chlorination system at a small water treatment plant in Colorado. The UVC LED disinfection system was validated using MS2 bacteriophage inactivation over a range of flow rates and water UV transmittances. The reactor was also challenge-tested with MS2 periodically during the year-long demonstration. During lab tests and the field study in challenging conditions without any maintenance, the reactor demonstrated viral and bacterial disinfection efficacy and resilience equivalent to the chlorination system, providing proof of concept for application of UVC LEDs for municipal water treatment.

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KW - light-emitting diodes

KW - MS2 bacteriophage

KW - ultraviolet light

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UV LED water disinfection: Validation and small system demonstration study

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