UV/chlorine control of drinking water taste and odour at pilot and full-scale

• UV/chlorine is more efficient than UV/H2O2 at pH 6.5 for geosmin and MIB removal.
• UV/chlorine efficiency is comparable to UV/H2O2 at pH 7.5 and 8.5.
• Caffeine is a suitable surrogate for geosmin and MIB.

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) can be used to destroy taste and odour-causing compounds in drinking water. This work investigated both pilot- and full-scale performance of the novel ultraviolet (UV)/chlorine AOP for the destruction of geosmin, 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) and caffeine (as a surrogate) in two different surface waters. The efficiency of the UV/chlorine process at pH 7.5 and 8.5 was comparable to that of the UV/hydrogen peroxide (UV/H2O2) process under parallel conditions, and was superior at pH 6.5. Caffeine was found to be a suitable surrogate for geosmin and MIB, and could be used as a more economical alternative to geosmin or MIB spiking for site-specific full-scale testing.

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