Hanovia News - a Halma PR news blog

UV ensures water is free from microbial contamination

Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection specialist Hanovia has developed a UV system which prevents microbial contamination of downhole injection water during oil recovery. UV reduces the need for traditional disinfection chemicals, which can be expensive, highly toxic and potentially hazardous to transport and store under offshore conditions.

The quality of injection water is critical. It must be free from suspended solids and have a low oxygen content to prevent the growth of aerobic microorganisms. It is also important that the water is free from anaerobic bacteria, especially sulphate reducing bacteria, which flourish in anaerobic conditions by reducing existing sulphate ions to hydrogen sulphide (H2S) gas. H2S is highly corrosive and reduces the market value of the oil by increasing its sulphide content, caused pipeline corrosion, and can be a potential health hazard to personnel.

UV disinfection, supplemented by periodic shock dosing using chemical biocides, is one of the most cost-efficient methods of minimising microbiological contamination in injection water, by both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. UV treatment also dramatically reduces the frequency of chemical dosing and therefore the cost of handling and transporting chemicals.

Several stages of water treatment are often needed to obtain injection water of adequate quality, so a combination of physical treatment and UV disinfection may be used. The UV system should ideally be the last stage of the water treatment process. This ensures that there is minimal opportunity after disinfection for re-introduction of contamination microorganisms.

A typical Hanovia UV disinfection system is highly compact, modular and easy to install within existing pipework with minimal disruption. Shock dosing with chemicals does not require the complex monitoring equipment which is necessary if biocides are used as a primary disinfectant. In addition, UV does not produce any unwanted by-products.

Exactly the same principle of UV disinfection can be applied to the treatment of drinking water on offshore platforms. A UV disinfection system can be used after storage, at the point of use, to eliminate bacteria, mould, yeasts and fungi which can contaminate water supplies. UV has no effect on the taste, odour or chemical composition of the water.

UV disinfection specialist Hanovia Limited has appointed John Ryan as its new Managing Director. John has over 20 years international experience in the water treatment industry and brings a wealth of expertise and knowledge to the company.

He joins Hanovia from Christ Water Technology, where he served most recently as the  Head of Group Customer Services, and previously as the Managing Director of Christ Water Technology in Ireland. Prior to joining Christ he worked for a number of leading water technology companies, including Veolia, Memcor and Permutit Boby.

John received an MBA from Warwick University and holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering from Loughborough University. He is a Chartered Engineer and a member of the Institution of Chemical Engineers.

“My aim is to build upon Hanovia’s already extensive presence around the world, to get closer to our existing customers and to enter new markets where our world-leading UV technology has a real advantage,” commented John. “We already have an established presence across Europe, Asia, Australasia and North America (through our US sister company Aquionics) which gives us a strong base with which to grow our business.”

Huge improvement in water quality and payback in less than a year

Since installing a Hanovia UV water treatment system, the Lloyd Elsmore Park Leisure Centre in Manukau City, New Zealand, has seen a transformation in water and air quality at its indoor leisure pool, one of New Zealand’s busiest. Running costs are also much less and the UV system has paid for itself in less than a year.

“We installed the Hanovia UV system to control combined chlorine, also known as chloramines,” commented Centre Manager Gary Burr. “Since installation it has been doing its job perfectly – combined chlorine levels have fallen from 1.8ppm to 0.5ppm, resulting in a much improved pool environment. Visitors have really noticed the difference and we are always getting comments about how much nicer the pool is to swim in, with none of the nasty ‘chlorine’ smells and eye irritations normally associated with indoor pools. People find they no longer need to use eye goggles and don’t smell of chlorine when they leave the pool. The water is also much clearer – transmission has shot up from 80% to 95% - from cloudy to clear.”

Continuing, Gary said, “Other benefits include a big reduction in the amount of dilution water required. Before UV we were replacing about 600m3/water per week, just to keep combined chlorine levels down, and this has now fallen to virtually zero – it’s just not necessary any more. All in all, the reduction in costs for new water, discharged water, lost energy and lost chemicals is considerably lower. The UV paid for itself within less than a year, making this a doubly successful story.”

He concluded by saying, “Following the success of the Lloyd Elsmore Park UV installation, Manukau City Council has ordered two more Hanovia UV systems for other leisure facilities with similarly loaded indoor pools. I know for a fact that the Council has also received many more enquiries, based on the success of our installation.”

The UV system unit installed at Lloyd Elsmore Park is a Hanovia medium pressure PSP UV system, which can treat up to 220 m3/hour, based on a UV dose of 60 mJ/cm2. An automatic wiper keeps the sleeve housing the UV lamp clean, so the only regular maintenance required is changing the lamp every nine to twelve months – a simple operation that is carried out by on-site staff. All Hanovia UV disinfection systems are compact and can usually be installed within existing pipework with minimal disruption.

All Hanovia medium pressure UV systems are compact and can usually be installed within existing pipework. Automatic wipers keep the quartz sleeves housing the UV lamps clean, so the only regular maintenance required is changing the lamp, a simple operation that can be done in minutes. Reduced chlorine usage also results in significant cost savings for the pool operator, as well as cutting down on chemical handling.

New UV disinfection system helps operators meet IMO discharge regulations

To assist operators of cruise ships, tankers, semi-submersibles, jack-up rigs and other large ocean-going vessels to meet the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO’s) impending ballast water discharge requirements, UV disinfection specialist Hanovia has partnered with three of the world’s leading systems integrators to provide validated, on-board water treatment systems that are easy to install and use.

All ocean-going vessels take on water to provide ballast and stability. It is usually taken on in coastal port areas and transported to the next port of call – sometimes on the other side of the world – where it may be discharged. Much of this water contains marine microorganisms such as zooplankton, algae, bacteria and the eggs, cysts and larvae of various species. While many die in transit, some survive and invade the local marine environment, out-competing native species and causing serious damage to native ecosystems. Environmental damage caused by ballast water is now regarded as one of the greatest threats to the world’s oceans.

Two methods have been proposed to combat this problem: onboard ballast water treatment and ballast water exchange. As the name suggests, ballast water treatment involves treatment of ballast water prior to discharge, while ballast water exchange involves ballasting and de-ballasting in the open ocean before coming into ports and coastal waters. This open ocean exchange is not an ideal solution as it is potentially unsafe and can destabilise the vessel. Also, because existing ballast water exchange systems do not completely drain the tanks, sediment and a residual amount of water can remain, leaving behind non-indigenous species which could be discharged in port later.

As well as being unsafe, open ocean ballast water exchange is difficult to regulate and monitor, so many operators simply do not do it. Because of this the IMO is setting much tougher standards to control ballast water practices and has published two Conventions to tackle the problem. The first is the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), dealing with waste and sewage discharge from ships (ratified in 2003), and the second is the Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention, to control the spread of alien species (due for ratification in 2009). Under the BWM Convention, vessels will have to treat all ballast water so that discharges contain less than 10 viable organisms per cubic metre equal to or greater in size than 50 µm in size.

To help operators confront these requirements Hanovia, in tandem with the leading systems integrators, has devised a UV disinfection system that, in conjunction with a filter, kills or removes virtually all microorganisms present in ballast water. The combined system comprises a high intensity, medium pressure UV disinfection unit and an automatic back-flush filter. After passing through the filter to remove larger organisms, the ballast water flows into the UV chamber to destroy smaller organisms. During de-ballasting, the water bypasses the filter but again flows through the UV chamber where further irradiation kills any remaining microorganisms.

The entire system has a very small footprint and can be mounted at any angle, making it easy to install even in the confined spaces of a vessel’s equipment room. Once installed, the system requires little effort to operate by the crew. It can be controlled by a master PLC unit which can be integrated into the vessel’s machinery automation network. The UV unit is equipped with automatic wipers to keep the UV lamps clean, and the only maintenance required by the crew is the replacement of the UV lamps once a year and occasional preventative maintenance procedures.

For the first time, Halma companies Hanovia and Palintest will be exhibiting jointly at Piscine, the world spa and private swimming pool show, being held in Lyon this November. The companies will be showing their combined strengths in UV treatment (Hanovia) and water testing (Palintest), where they rank among the world leaders in these respective technologies.

Hanovia, based in Slough in the United Kingdom, will be showing its new SwimPure UV system, designed specifically to reduce chloramines in swimming pools and spas. SwimPure uses a unique switching mechanism which varies the number of UV lamps in operation during peak and off-peak periods. This means operators can save money by reducing energy consumption, while still getting the water quality they desire. The system has a compact ‘in-line’ design which means it can easily be installed in existing pipework; the design also results in a low headloss. The company will also be showing its AF3 UV system for smaller water flows.

Palintest, based in Gateshead in the United Kingdom, will be showing a range of products, including the Pooltest 25 Professional Plus, a fully waterproof (to IP67) precision pool photometer featuring data logging and USB data download. The instrument features a complete range of 25 swimming pool water tests, including the required tests for free and total Chlorine, pH and alkalinity as well as more specialised tests for complete pool management. The company will also be launching new selection of Pooltest test strips, including a 6 in 1 test strip for residential use.

Experts from both companies will be on hand at all times to provide technical expertise and answers to any UV- or water testing-related questions.

UV disinfection specialist Hanovia will be showing its UV water disinfection systems at this year’s Aquaculture  2008 exhibition in Krakow, Poland (Stand No: 39). Hanovia is well known throughout the European aquaculture industry as a leading supplier of UV disinfection systems for applications ranging from fish hatcheries to mussel depuration tanks. The company is now venturing into the Eastern European fresh water aquaculture market for the first time.

New products specifically developed for the region’s fishery and hatchery sectors will be on display, including Hanovia’s AF3 series, which handles flows between 1.5 m3/hr to 51.0 m3/hr and has lamp outputs ranging from 51 to 270 watts. The UV output bandwidth of AF3 systems is very narrow, making them ideal for use hatcheries, where efficient disinfection of viruses and bacteria is required, but where collateral damage to other, beneficial, organisms must be kept to a minimum.

The AF3 series uses low pressure amalgam UV lamps and are very power efficient. They also have a small footprint and can easily be installed within existing pipework, either vertically or horizontally. All AF3 units can be fitted either with automatic wipers or quick release Tri-Clamps, both of which keep the quartz sleeves surrounding the UV lamps clean and clear of deposits. Tri-Clamps are manually operated and allow quartz sleeve cleaning to be done in minutes.

Organised by the European Aquaculture Society, Aquaculture 2008 combines a scientific conference with a trade exhibition. The theme of this year’s event is Resource Management and it will address various aspects of the natural, human and material resources for the sustainable development of aquaculture.

Experts will be on hand at Hanovia’s stand at all times to provide technical expertise and answer any UV-related questions.

Aquaculture 2008
15 – 18 September 2008
Krakow Convention Centre
Krakow, Poland
Hanovia Stand No: 39

Hanovia will be showing its new SwimPure UV treatment system for swimming pools and spas at Leisure Industry Week 2008 at the NEC in Birmingham in September. The company will be jointly exhibiting with its sister Halma company Palintest, which specialises in water testing kits and reagents.

The highly compact SwimPure offers twofold protection for pool operators: water disinfection and chloramine removal. Chloramines are formed by the reaction of chlorine in pool water with organic substances introduced by bathers and are responsible for the common eye and respiratory irritations associated with indoor pools. Because UV is so effective at destroying water-borne microorganisms, it also reduces the amount of chlorine needed to just a residual amount – further reducing the production of chloramines.

The SwimPure can be used to treat all sizes of pools and spas up to large 50m Olympic pools. Optimised using CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) modelling software to ensure better UV distribution and better performance, its ‘in-line’ design also reduces installation costs.

Experts will be on hand at Hanovia’s stand at all times to provide technical expertise and answer any UV-related questions.

Leisure Industry Week 2008
23 – 25 September 2008
NEC, Birmingham
Hanovia Stand No: 4222

For the first time, the Halma UV companies Hanovia Limited and Berson UV-techniek will be exhibiting jointly at this year’s Aquatech water technology exhibition in Amsterdam. The companies will be showing their combined strength in both the industrial and municipal water treatment markets, where they rank among the world leaders in UV technology.

Hanovia, based in Slough in the United Kingdom, specialises in industrial, aquaculture and swimming pool applications. The company will be showing a number of new UV systems for industrial water treatment applications such as food and beverage processing and high purity applications like pharmaceutical and electronics manufacturing. The company is also interested to meet potential distributors for its products.

Berson, based near Eindhoven in the Netherlands, specialises in municipal applications and will be showing its InLine and InLine+ range of closed-vessel UV disinfection systems. Capable of treating water and wastewater flows as high as 5000 m3/hour, they have a unique design where the UV lamps are angled at 90^o to the water flow. This not only means a more effective distribution of UV light to the passing fluid, it also means a much smaller footprint, allowing easy installation and servicing.

Europahal, Booth 211
Aquatech Amsterdam 2008
September 30 – October 3, 2008
Amsterdam RAI Exhibition Centre
Amsterdam, Netherlands

UV disinfection specialist Hanovia (www.hanovia.com) has appointed Keith Watson as its new Sales and Marketing Director. Keith has extensive experience in global sales to many process and manufacturing industries and brings a wealth of technical expertise to the post.

“My aim is to increase the penetration of Hanovia across the wide range of applications where our market-leading UV technology has real advantage,” said Keith. “We already have an established presence in Europe, South-East Asia, Australasia and North America (through our US sister company Aquionics) providing us with a strong base on which to grow our business.”

After gaining a Chemistry degree from Exeter University Keith spent several years in industrial chemistry before pursuing a career in technical instrumentation sales. He was Sales Director of Arun Technology in the UK before spending 10 years in Hong Kong and China where he was General Manager of Martek Marine Limited and Managing Director of Spectro Analytical (Asia Pacific) Limited.

The new TX Online UV transmittance analyser from Hanovia has been specifically designed to provide accurate monitoring of UV water disinfection systems in the food and beverage, brewing, pharmaceutical, electronics, aquaculture and marine (ballast water treatment) industries. The TX Online’s one-piece design allows simple mounting and uses minimal space. Its new optics provide increased accuracy and more consistent readings with online and laboratory analysers.

A unique feature of the TX Online is an ultrasonic automatic cleaning system that keeps the optical chamber clean at all times. This ensures accurate, consistent reading of percentage UV transmittance at all times and reduces the need for manual cleaning. In addition, a bubble rejection system which eliminates air from a sample while simultaneously creating a vortex cleaning action throughout the optical chamber.

The unit has a 0 - 100% transmittance range and response time can be adjusted to allow the user to program readings between 4 - 60 seconds. Calibration is inexpensive due to the small sample volume requited (only 30ml) and removable sample cuvettes allow for easy cleaning and calibrating. An adjustable backlight display allows viewing in low light conditions. A 4-20 mA output is provided as standard and an RS-485 output with Modbus protocol is available as an optional extra.

The TX Online is certified to CE, UL and CSA (ETL, ETLc). The calibration standard is prepared as outlines in ‘Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 20th Edition, Method 1080 A-C, Methods for Preparation of Reagent Water’.