UV (ultraviolet) is a highly effective disinfection technology, delivering a wide range of benefits for water treatments globally. But to date, it has been a solution out of reach for some plants due to space constraints, hydraulic limitations, or cost. Until now that is, thanks to an innovative new approach, individual filter outlet (IFO) installations. To uncover more, our global UV product manager, Kirsten Meyer, has answered the frequently asked questions on IFO installations, from how they can support with site resilience through to cost savings and working with sites with space constraints.
In conventional plant design, UV is installed in a duty standby system, on the combined filter outlet of the disinfection process after the collection pipe. This results in a complex build process with demand for additional pipeworks, which take up significant space and can have significant cost implications. Furthermore, existing hydraulic capacity may be insufficient, resulting in the need for additional pumps.
To give all water treatment plants the opportunity to access UV technology, regardless of their set up or size, thinking about UV in a different way is vital. And that’s exactly what we’ve done at Xylem + Evoqua. We’ve pioneered the IFO approach. This innovative design works by installing a UV system on each individual filter outlet before the combined filter channel and the benefits are vast. This solution is ideal for sites with space constraints and, as there’s no new building requirements, plants save costs and project risk versus traditional installation designs. Plus, this design has an optimal hydraulic location which can eliminate the requirement for the pumping stage.
At the centre of our industry-first IFO solution is the Evoqua Wafer® UV System. This leading UV system design is up to 50% smaller than competitive UV systems, yet delivers high UVDGM validated disinfection performance and low environmental impact.
Yes. The IFO approach has been designed with sites that have space constraints in mind. As the Wafer UV system is up to 50% smaller than comparative traditional UV systems, and is installed on each individual filter outlet before the combined filter channel, it doesn’t require additional plant room space. It’s therefore an ideal way for plants of all shapes and sizes to overcome infrastructure challenges and embrace the benefits of UV technology.
The benefits of the IFO approach versus traditional UV installations are vast and one of the key savings for plants is financial. These smaller UV systems can save between 40-50% of the costs of a traditional system, when you consider the reduced installation expense and whole life costs. Our Wafer UV systems reduce maintenance requirements for engineers and are simple to operate on an ongoing basis. Furthermore, there’s the potential to reduce chemical consumption by utilising UV, which saves on chemical purchasing costs and reduces reliance on suppliers.
All our technology solutions are designed to support sustainable operations and the IFO approach is no exception. As well as financial savings, this approach to disinfection delivers a number of sustainability benefits to operators. Firstly, there’s no requirement for extending the footprint of a site, so this saves in terms of carbon footprint and the emissions associated with building work. Secondly, due to optimising the head loss with the Wafer system at the point of installation, this often mitigates the need for further pumping stations, which can reduce operational power consumption and costs by more than 20%.
Yes, one significant advantage of using a UV at each filter is the enhanced site resilience it provides. During installation works, it enables all filter lines, except the one under upgrade, to remain operational. When installation is complete, each filter and UV work in tandem, so sites don’t have to shut down the full filter system of a treatment works to service or maintain the UV systems. And this approach adds resiliency by using a multi technology approach to disinfection, as UV can be combined with on-site chemical generation systems or ozone technology, for example.
In addition, our customer data has shown that this approach to UV is able, based on bespoke validation, to provide a higher log reduction than originally needed, allowing sites to provide a higher log reduction or increase flow at current log reduction. This supports the futureproofing of a plant’s water supply.
Today, the IFO approach is delivering a range of benefits for plants worldwide, which are making a real difference to operations. To find out more about IFO installations and our leading Wafer® UV System, visit here.
