Advanced UV technology represented in Australia by CST Wastewater Solutions , have become the first in the world to gain formal approval for wastewater reuse applications. Berson's InLine+ medium pressure closed vessel UV systems underwent extensive third party testing by Carollo Engineers in the USA before being formally approved for post-filtration and reverse osmosis applications by the California Department of Public Health.
Berson is represented in Australia by CST Wastewater Solutions. According to Michael Bambridge, Managing Director, CST Wastewater Solutions, the systems are now validated for wastewater reuse applications in accordance with AwwaRF/NWRI guidelines, which are some of the toughest in the world. The guidelines are also the only ones offering guidelines on sewage treatment, which is a key factor in Australia.
The validation is significant for Australia because the US has led the way in wastewater reuse for decades. The issues they have been addressing there with large areas of western and southern USA experiencing chronic water shortages are the types of issues that are now experienced by CST Wastewater Solutions.
This validation opens the door to expanded use of UV technology in wastewater reuse applications as more and more large-scale reuse projects are considered in water-poor regions of the world, such as Australia, China and Southern Europe. Potential applications for wastewater reuse are at any instances where water is needed for non-potable use.
The wastewater reuse can be used for agricultural irrigation and for other irrigation applications such as golf courses, parks, fountains and lawns. Reclaimed wastewater is also used for groundwater recharge applications such as aquifer storage and recovery or preventing saltwater intrusion in coastal aquifers. Other uses include toilet and urinal flushing, fire fighting, foundation stabilisation in the construction industry and artificial snow generation.
In all these applications, reused wastewater relieves the burden on existing municipal potable supplies. The common method of wastewater disinfection for reuse has long been chlorination. Despite chlorine’s impressive track record, concerns regarding disinfection by-products (DBPs) and disinfection performance with respect to pathogen inactivation are driving the conversion from chlorine disinfection to other disinfection methods such as UV, which does not produce any significant DBPs.
Closed vessel UV systems are easy to install within existing pipework, so there is minimal disruption to plant operation. Day-to-day operation is simple and maintenance is minor. The only regular requirement is changing the UV lamps and wiper rings once a year, a straightforward operation that can be carried out by on-site personnel.
According to Andrew Clark, Managing Director, Berson, Berson’s state-of-the-art technology uses UV sensors to actually measure how the UV systems are performing.