EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN WASTEWATER DISINFECTION

The Arlington wastewater treatment plant of Poughkeepsie, NY discharges an average daily flow of 2.6 mgd and a peak flow of 8 mgd into the Hudson River. During the early part of 1999, plant staff began to experience periodic difficulties in achieving effective disinfection. After discussing these difficulties with the local power utility, a project was developed to examine the use of pulsed power UV as a replacement for the existing disinfection system. Pulsed power (PP) UV has been evaluated in a number of studies for disinfecting potable water and reclaimed water, but had never been examined for use in disinfecting wastewater. Both bench scale and demonstration scale testing was performed to compare the pulsed power equipment to medium pressure and conventional low pressure UV equipment. After completion of the testing, conceptual designs were prepared for each UV lamp system so that an economic analysis could be conducted. The results of the economic analysis are presented in this paper. Operation and maintenance costs for all three systems are based on data collected during the study.