The recent ANEAS webinar on advanced UV disinfection brought together water treatment professionals from across Latin America, generating an intensive Q&A session with Shimon Constante, Atlantium’s EVP of Strategic Growth. From the questions asked, seven challenges emerged that define what water treatment facilities need most: chemical-free operations, cost-competitive solutions, validated performance standards, scalable technology, strategic chemical reduction approaches, high organic load management, and advanced contamination control capabilities.
These questions show that the industry is actively seeking proven alternatives to traditional chemical-dependent processes. Here are the expert answers regarding Atlantium’s HOD™ (Hydro-Optic Disinfection) UV treatment that address these fundamental challenges.
1. Are there residual chemicals post-UV treatment
A: No. UV treatment with Atlantium’s HOD UV technology provides instant physical disinfection without any residual chemicals, unlike chlorine-based treatments. This is one of the fundamental advantages of UV light – it’s inherently chemical-free by nature.
When you implement our HOD UV technology, you eliminate chemical handling costs, storage requirements, and safety concerns while delivering superior disinfection performance. If your incoming water already contains chlorine, our advanced systems can actually help minimize or eliminate those chlorine residuals, promoting sustainable and safe water practices.
2. In a wastewater plant that treats only municipal wastewater, is the operation cost competitive?
A: HOD™ UV technology offers highly competitive operational costs over the system’s lifetime, particularly when compared to chemical-based disinfection or conventional UV systems.
Our technology reduces ongoing expenses by eliminating chemical purchasing and handling, minimizing maintenance needs, and ensuring energy-efficient performance through our patented Hydro-Optic design. It also extends equipment lifespan, lowering replacement frequency and downtime costs.
For municipal wastewater facilities, the savings extend beyond the equipment itself – simplified operator training, reduced safety requirements, and the absence of chemical discharge further reduce long-term costs. Over time, these cumulative savings make HOD UV a cost-effective and sustainable choice.
3. Which viral indicators are validated with Atlantium HOD UV?
A: Our systems have been validated using adenovirus, which is considered the most UV-resistant virus found in drinking water, achieving 4-log or greater reductions.
Adenovirus represents the worst-case scenario for UV resistance. If our technology can achieve 4-log reduction against adenovirus, you can be confident it will perform effectively against any viral contamination scenario you might encounter.
Our validation is third-party certified based on US EPA protocols, and we’re field-proven across power plants and municipal facilities. The technology also effectively inactivates protozoa such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium, providing broad-spectrum microbiological safety.
For wastewater applications specifically, Atlantium’s HOD UV consistently achieves 3-log (99.9%) reductions required by standards in regions such as Brazil. If higher disinfection levels are needed, our systems can reliably achieve up to 5-log (99.999%) reductions through optimized UV dose management.
4. Can Atlantium systems provide uniform radiation at high flow rates?
Atlantium systems are sized based on UVT, flow rate and required dose. The sizing is based on dose equation which was established by biodesometric testing done by 3rd party, based on the US EPA protocol. The testings are performed at the envelope of different UVT’s, flow rates and lamp power. Based on this, the dose equation takes into account all aspects including high flow rates and TIR (Total Internal Reflection). The uniform dose distribution will be reflected in the size of the unit and the power consumption.
5. For disinfecting drinking water, is it possible to completely replace chlorine with this HOD UV system?
A: HOD UV technology can significantly reduce or, in certain regulatory environments, completely replace chlorine for primary disinfection. However, the most successful approach is usually strategic rather than absolute.
Many regions, including Mexico, require residual chlorine presence in distribution networks to maintain microbiological safety post-treatment. The optimal strategy combines HOD UV as your primary disinfection barrier with minimal chlorine dosing for distribution network protection.
This approach can significantly reduce overall chlorine use while maintaining regulatory compliance. You get the economic and operational benefits of reduced chemical dependency while ensuring your systems meet regional requirements for distribution network safety.
6. When organic load is very high and regulations require treatment, how do you ensure effectiveness?
A: HOD UV technology can be combined with Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOP) to manage high organic loads effectively. This integrated approach is specifically designed for challenging applications where single-technology solutions fall short.
The combination ensures degradation and removal of complex organic compounds while maintaining compliance with stringent regulatory standards, regardless of how your influent quality varies throughout treatment cycles.
We’ve implemented this integrated treatment approach in facilities where conventional methods couldn’t handle the complexity. It transforms challenging water quality scenarios into manageable treatment processes with predictable, reliable outcomes.
7. Based on your experience with Advanced Oxidation, what contaminants can you remove?
A: AOP effectively removes challenging contaminants that conventional treatment struggles to handle, such as pharmaceutical residues, personal care products, endocrine disruptors, certain pesticides, taste and odor-causing compounds, and specific persistent organic pollutants.
This capability addresses emerging contaminants that didn’t exist when current treatment infrastructure was designed. For cutting-edge contaminants like PFAS, we’re actively developing and applying solutions that demonstrate significant removal through advanced processes.
The real value here is future-proofing. You’re not just solving today’s contamination challenges—you’re positioning your facility ahead of evolving regulations while addressing public health concerns about contamination sources that regulations haven’t caught up to yet.
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