Xylem Installs First UV Cryptosporidium Barrier in Florida
As featured on Impeller | Water News from Xylem
A water treatment plant in Florida will soon be the first in the state to use a UV cryptosporidium barrier. Xylem will supply its advanced Wedeco LBX Series UV disinfection system to protect against cryptosporidium in West Palm Beach.
Cryptosporidium is the leading cause of waterborne disease outbreaks in the US, impacting almost 750,000 people each year with potentially severe symptoms. As the chlorine-resistant cryptosporidium parasite is easily inactivated with a low ultraviolet (UV) dose, many drinking water plant operators are turning to UV disinfection to provide safe drinking water for their communities.
Currently producing 47 million gallons of water per day (MGD), the West Palm Beach Water Treatment Plant treats water from East Clear Lake for potable use by the city and surrounding communities, including a number of critical medical facilities. Upon completion of the major upgrade project, the plant will serve over 110,000 people, with a maximum treatment capacity of 50 MGD.
Benefits of UV disinfection in water treatment
The addition of Xylem’s Wedeco LBX Series UV disinfection system will enhance the treatment plant’s protection against cryptosporidium, providing an additional barrier to pathogens. It will improve the safety, reliability and quality of the water produced by the city. Furthermore, this energy-efficient, cost-effective UV disinfection system will lessen the plant’s dependency on chlorine, which will positively impact the environment.
UV disinfection is a sustainable alternative to chemical-based disinfection, such as chlorine, which may create harmful disinfection byproducts. Xylem will provide six Wedeco LBX 1500e UV disinfection systems installed in parallel. Designed for medium to large-scale wastewater treatment plants, industrial and water reuse applications, Xylem’s Wedeco LBX UV system was the first closed-vessel, low pressure, high output amalgam UV system in the world to obtain Title 22 acceptance from the California State Water Resources Control Board’s Division of Drinking Water.
UV disinfection system with the lowest life-cycle cost
Xylem’s Wedeco LBX 1500e UV disinfection systems, specifically designed to add 4-log protection against cryptosporidium, were selected by West Palm Beach because they deliver the lowest life-cycle cost. This is primarily due to the energy efficiency of the low-pressure high-output (LPHO) Wedeco Ecoray lamps and the relative low head loss of the UV reactors.
“Our focus at Xylem is on helping customers to build resilient water infrastructure that ensures clean water supply to the public continuously and reliably in all conditions,” says David Tomowich, Wedeco Technical Sales Manager at Xylem. “As drinking water providers across the US seek to heighten protection of drinking water supplies against cryptosporidium, we are pleased to be supporting this effort with our reliable, sustainable and cost-effective UV disinfection solutions.”
Construction at the West Beach Water Treatment Plant began in 2016, and the facility is expected to enter operation in 2018.
