UV low-pressure system from Xylem ensures perfect water quality with reduced chlorine use
Fast and effective: The Wedeco low-pressure plant can be integrated into the already existing water circulation process. (Image Source: Xylem Water Solutions Deutschland GmbH
At the H2O Herford water park in Germany, a Wedeco UV system is being used to reduce chlorine and energy use, while guaranteeing water quality.
The water park’s new low-pressure Wedeco system uses 10 percent of the energy of a medium-pressure system and improves the odor of the swimming pool.
When chlorine is used in swimming pools it can combine with ammonia and organic compounds to form chloramines, which irritate the skin and eyes of swimmers. The H2O Herford water park, run by a public utility, wanted to find a solution that lowered combined chlorine compounds while meeting German treatment regulations.
By using a UV system, swimming pools can lower chlorine use and avoid irritations. This also lowers the volume of fresh water that needs to be added to the pool, which lowers the energy needed to heat the water. The Herford public utility contacted Xylem to find a better treatment solution.
Less swimming pool chlorine with the Wedeco UV system
“During extensive consultation, we looked at the parameters and designed a bespoke solution,” says Carlos Silva, Area Sales Manager Process Technology, Xylem. “Our low-pressure systems break down monochloramines so that they are no longer combined. Less chlorine then needs to be added to the pool water, which reduces dichloramines and trichloramines in the water.”
Initially, the Herford public utility tested the Wedeco systems under a rental agreement. The utility was quickly convinced of the system’s effectiveness and purchased the system. By first renting the system, the utility could test the low-pressure UV solution without any great investment risk. Xylem’s UV systems can also be rented for short-term use after filtration failures or filter decontamination.
Low-pressure UV system efficiently disinfects the water
The H2O Herford water park uses a Wedeco BX650e (flow rate 400 m³/h) disinfection system integrated into the park’s water circulation process, and a Spektron 900e UV disinfection system (flow rate 600 m³/h), working out of sight of the park’s visitors.
The UV treatment system inactivates 99.99 percent of pathogens in the water. This also eliminates issues such as microbial accumulation on the filtration equipment, which could lead to problems. Microbial contamination of the swimming pool can be avoided from the outset, reducing the need for chlorine and the amount of combined chloramines.
German regulations recommend medium-pressure systems despite their much higher energy consumption. The low-pressure Wedeco system used at the water park, however, uses only around 10 percent of the total energy required by an alternative medium-pressure system. The OptiDose control system further increases energy efficiency, dosing the UV intensity according to the water quality.
Less odor and long-term benefits with Wedeco system
“Even just a short time after the equipment was put into use, staff at the water park were reporting a noticeable reduction in odor,” reports Friedrich Peters, Technical Manager at the H2O Herford water park.
The Wedeco equipment in Herford is estimated to have a service life of more than 20 years. The UV lamps generally function flawlessly for a year and a half to two years – in other words, twice as long as other solutions.
