UV systems are highly effective at destroying living organisms that may be present in water, but like all water treatment devices certain water quality parameters must be met in order to guarantee system performance. When these water quality parameters are not met, UV systems are used in conjunction with other technologies to deliver a total safe water solution. Because UV system do not address any chemical contamination in the water, this article will also look at complimentary technologies that will remove chemicals.
The manufacturers of UV systems understand that their equipment will only function properly when the incoming water meets specific guidelines. The areas of concern are sediment, water hardness, iron level, manganese level, and UV Transmittance (UVT). The next few paragraphs will look at each of these areas in more detail.
Sediment is fine particulate matter in water. Every natural water source contains some sediment. Sediment is a two-fold problem for UV systems. Because UV systems utilize light to achieve disinfection, any particles floating in the water