By 
As the most recent conference of the International Ultraviolet Association (IUVA) convened on August 2. On December 12-14, 2012 in Arlington, Virginia, a remarkable event in UV water technology was held. The National Water Research Institute (NWRI) chose the “Moving Forward: Sustainable UV Solutions to Meet Evolving Regulatory Challenges” conference to publish the third edition of the Ultraviolet Disinfection Guidelines for Drinking Water and Water Reuse. NWRI is a nonprofit organization that was created by a group of California water and wastewater agencies in 1991 to collaborate on research projects and activities that promote innovation and solutions to water supply and resource challenges. . The original UV guidelines were published by NWRI in 1993.
These widely accepted guidelines were developed by leading engineers and scientists in the field of UV technology and recently revised by two of their contributing authors: Robert W. Emerick, Ph.D., PE, of Stantec Consulting Services and George Tchobanoglous, Ph. D., PE, NAE, from the University of California, Davis. Dr. Emerick was responsible for the first licensed UV disinfection facility for unfiltered drinking water in the U.S. Dr. Tchobanoglous is an internationally renowned expert in water and wastewater treatment and solid waste management .
Peer reviewers of the third edition reviews included Karl G. Linden, PD, of the University of Colorado at Boulder, and Brian Bernados, PE, of the California Department of Public Health.
This publication is designed for state, federal, and municipal agencies responsible for UV disinfection systems in drinking water and water reuse, and water utilities that implement the technology. The adoption of the guidelines is at the discretion of federal, state and municipal authorities. The California Department of Public Health is currently using these standards, as are others in the United States.
Jeff Mosher, Executive Director of NWRI, spoke about the guidelines at the IUVA 2012 Conference of the Americas. He said, “Because of their advantages, demand for UV is growing, in part due to the use of recycled water to meet supply needs. of water”. Mosher added, “The UV Guidelines are the most widely used reference by regulators, water and wastewater agencies, design engineers and equipment manufacturers to ensure the effectiveness of UV installations.”
The 100-page guidelines are available online at http://www.nwri-usa.org/uvguidelines.htm. The UV guidelines are designed to be dynamic and will be updated as new UV technologies emerge. This resource is not a planning manual for the design of UV disinfection systems; that is the responsibility of the design engineer and the manufacturer. The UV guidelines recommend the use of adequate filtration to remove secondary effluents prior to UV disinfection and are not intended to cover the effectiveness of these types of methods or systems in the guidelines. The guidelines include a standard for the measurement of cleanliness of water after UV disinfection is carried out.
Some, but not all, of the highlights of the new edition include:
– Standardized protocol for spot verification of performance bioassays, replacing rate profiles
– Standardized UV dose-response relationship
– Revisions to Chapter 3: Protocols
– All recovery systems must be tested to show that disinfection is consistent with design intent.
This brief introduction to the third edition of these guidelines is intended to pique the interest of water industry experts and the public for further review and analysis. IUVA members and supporters were honored that NWRI chose the conference to release this remarkable new edition of the Ultraviolet Disinfection Guidelines for Drinking Water and Water Reuse.