2005 Volume 3 Issue 1 Pages 85-92
Proving UV reactor performance through validation is becoming a common requirement in wastewater, reuse water and drinking water disinfection applications. However, there is often confusion in understanding the objectives of validation and when choosing an appropriate protocol to follow. This paper will visit the fundamental rationale behind validation. The primary principle behind performance validation is to ensure that public and environmental health is being safeguarded. To do this, regulations must set risk-based disinfection targets, and reactors must be shown to have adequate performance in terms of those targets. Validation must be based on empirical results to eliminate assumptions that are unsafe. Validation must be universal for a given reactor, so that it can be applied to any site where the reactor may be installed. Protocols must not be prescriptive with consequential hindrance to innovation, and they must not be too complex so that they can be accepted and implemented by the industry. This paper will expand on these major points, showing examples of how validation protocols can violate these principles, and also showing alternatives that uphold the principles, ensuring that public and environmental health is safeguarded.
