BALLAST WATER TREATMENT MONITORING

To operate safely and efficiently, cargo ships take in water to provide stability. This water, referred to as ballast, carries all kinds of bacteria, microbes and micro-algae. The ballast water must inevitably be discharged when the ship takes on cargo, often thousands of kilometers away from the port of origin, transferring pathogens and aquatic organisms that can cause serious environmental, economic and health problems.

To reduce risk associated with ballast water discharge, treatment technologies such as filtration and ultraviolet (UV) disinfection are employed onboard ships. Ultraviolet transmittance (UVT), the remaining amount of light transmitted through a water column after being absorbed and scattered by the impurities in the water sample, is the most important water quality parameter impacting UV disinfection performance. UVT, UV light intensity and flow rate (exposure time) are used to calculate an effective dose for the desired levels of inactivation. Therefore, a reliable and accurate UVT instrument is critical for UV disinfection systems to function properly.

• Low UVT alarm for off specification performance
• Accurate UV dose calculation with real-time UVT for maintaining compliance
• Dose pacing with real-time UVT analysis for energy savings
• Improved treated water quality and public safety