Mekorot National Water Company is planning to set up an ultraviolet water treatment plant at its large reservoir for the National Water Carrier at the Eshkol site in the lower Galilee. This will be one of first plants of its kind in the world, and will cost an estimated $30 million to build.
Mekorot will reportedly conduct tests and trials through the end of 2008, when it will publish a tender for selecting a company to install the UV facility. Major international companies in the sector, including Israeli start-up Atlantium Ltd., will participate in the tender. Atlantium and Mekorot are currently operating a pilot project at Mekorot’s Ketziot site.
Mekorot VP engineering and technologies Rafi Ifergan said that the Central Filtration Plant, which came online a few months ago, has reduced the quantities of contaminants in the water and improved its quality. Nevertheless, it is still necessary to add chlorine to the water. The use of UV technology will make it possible to reduce the quantities of chlorine, which will further improve the water’s quality and taste.
Ifergan added that recent studies have shown that chlorine seriously damages water pipes. When chlorine comes into contact with the ground, especially in countries that reuse treated wastewater, it also affects soil composition and crops. A growing number of countries are adopting regulations to gradually reduce chlorine and ozone levels in the water, and UV technology is one way to do this.
The technology is based on the principle that as water passes through a pipe in which UV radiation from special lights placed in the pipes breaks down organic matter. In contrast to chlorine, UV radiation does result in the broken down matter to reconstitute into new substances, but almost completely disinfects the water.
Use of UV technology for water purification began 25 years ago, mostly at sewage treatment plants. Israel is building a facility of this kind at the Acre Sewage Treatment Plant. Industry began using the technology a few years ago, especially food factories and industries that require clean water for their manufacturing processes. Only recently has the technology been applied at large water reservoirs, such as the one at Eshkol.
Ifergan says that a similar sized facility exists in Las Vegas and in a few other locations in the US. The fact that there are few UV water treatment plants means that Israel faces a major engineering and technology challenge in adopting the technology.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on September 20, 2007
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