Ozone Generators

OZONE GENERATORS

OZONE IN SWIMMING POOL WATER TREATMENT

Today, world wide swimming pool water is treated with ozone, sometimes reducing the use of chlorine, depending upon the type of pool and usage. The use of chlorine in pool produces ammonia and halomethanes in reaction with urea from urine and perspiration in water. These halomethanes are highly carcinogenic in nature. It is these halomethanes and ammonia in water which create eye and nose irritation along with other side effects like bleaching of hair and other skin problems.

Addition of ozone controls these halomethanes formed as a by-product of chlorine reaction and reduces the formation of ammonia which is the chief eye irritant in pool water. Ozone treatment makes the water pleasurable to swim in. Ozone also destroys all the water borne pathogens and controls the growth of algae and other bacteria as well. In addition, ozone acts as a microflocculant which helps the flocculating agent added in to the water to further improve the filtration rate. This reduces the turbidity of water and makes it crystal clear. Ozonised water feels completely free of any irritation, free of chlorine syndrome; like drinking water. Ozonised water is so clear that the water body looks a healthy blue, clear, fresh, soft and sparklingly clear.

Advantage of using ozone is that it is unstable and converts back to oxygen, leaving no trace of residual toxicity in water. However, for a use like swimming pool water treatment where the water, once disinfected, comes back for re-disinfection after a period of 6 to 8 hours or less depending upon the turn over cycle. Since there is no residual ozone in water, bacteria introduced by a bather or through atmosphere, will survive and multiply. Hence, it is essential to use chlorine in addition to ozone to maintain a bacteriastatic level in the pool water; meaning bacteria can not survive in this water nor multiply. For this reason chlorine is still used in swimming pool water treatment along with ozone. In this type of system, typically, ozone is the primary disinfectant, while chlorine is used to maintain the residual disinfectant level so that bacteria can not proliferate. As per the norm, regardless of what additional disinfectant used in pool water treatment, for safe operation, residual chlorine level of 0.5 ppm at the pool water inlet and 0.2 ppm at the pool water outlet should be maintained. With addition of ozone, the amount of chlorine required to maintain these 0.5 ppm and 0.2 ppm levels in pool water, is reduced. This system of ozonation followed by chlorination drastically improves the quality of water for the pleasure of a bather.

However, at no point, should chlorine be dispensed with using ozone alone as disinfectant for the swimming pool water treatment as this can not control rapid growth of algae and bacteria efficiently.

Installation of ozonator for pool water treatment is simple. A SS 304 ozone injection skid is used for injecting and dissolving ozone in water. The skid contains a SS 316 venturi injector, a SS 316 static mixer and a SS 316 booster pump to boost the line pressure across the injector to create the required suction for the intake of ozone into water. The inlet and the outlet lines of the ozone injection skid are connected to the existing pipe taking filtered water to the pool after sand filter. A valve in the main pipe line between the inlet and the outlet junctions is installed to divert some flow in to the injection skid. The ozonised water from the injector mixes with the water flowing in the main water body down stream, disinfecting it. Chlorine is injected after ozonation. The ozonised water; after chlorination; enters the pool. Ozone plant is installed inside the water treatment room. This is a very simple installation. Normally ozonators are maintenance free and have no other consumables except atmospheric air and low electricity, making ozonation a very attractive proposition for pool water treatment.