Feasibility study of UV disinfection for agricultural reuse of secondary level effluent in Korea

A pilot study was performed to examine the feasibility of UV disinfection for agricultural reuse of reclaimed water. The effluent from the bio-filter of a 16-unit apartment was used as input to the flow-through type UV disinfection system, with average suspended solid (SS) and biological oxygen demand (BOD) concentrations of 3.4 and 5.9 mg/L, respectively, and a mean level of total coliforms in the range of 1.5 x 10(4) MPN/100 mL. UV disinfection was found to be effective, in that it reduced mean concentration of indicator microorganisms (total coliform [TC], fecal coliform [FC], and E. coli) to less than 100 MPN/ 100 mL within 60s exposure using 17, 25, and 40 W lamps. The microorganisms often exceeded 200 MPN/100 mL with 17 and 25W lamps, but were completely removed with 40W lamp in one cylindrical chamber. Disinfection with two chambers in series demonstrated complete removal for all the experiments. About 30 mW x s/cm2 was thought to be adequate for the disinfection of secondary effluent to keep the suggested bacterial standards of 100 MPN FC/100 mL for agricultural reuse. Water quality effect on the UV efficiency was not apparent within the experimental conditions. Statistical analysis showed that the removal rates of TC, FC, and E. coli did not significantly vary with turbidity, dissolved organic matter (DOM), or SS concentrations (p = 0.05). Photo-reactivation problems after UV disinfection might be a lesser concern in agricultural reuse than for other uses, due to exposure of water to solar radiation and resulting inactivation. Overall, UV disinfection of effluent from secondary level wastewater treatment plants in Korea was thought to be an effective and feasible alternative for agricultural reuse, and thus it is strongly recommended.