Solan residents to get UV-treated water

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, September 12

The state’s first ultraviolet (UV) water purification plant has successfully started functioning on the Ashwani Khud water supply scheme for the town, where three treated water samples were tested negative for virus by the National Virology Lab, Pune, recently.

The samples of raw water were, however, found positive for Hepatitis A, thus necessitating the need for continuous disinfection of water through the UV system.

The need to install the system was also felt following pollution threat to Ashwani Khud water. As many as 834 cases of jaundice had surfaced in 2016 in Solan, where two water schemes were found contaminated with sewage, said Executive Engineer, Irrigation and Public Health Department, Sumit Sood.

The UV plant, which has the capacity to disinfect 40 lakh litres of water per day, will benefit about 22,000 people in the town. The plant, installed at a cost of Rs 1.78 crore, will finally make available clean drinking water to the people of Solan.

The firm, engaged to install it, will also provide a comprehensive annual maintenance for five years after the completion of two-year warranty period.

The system can also be replicated in other schemes which are vulnerable to contamination.

“The UV system can destroy 99.99 per cent harmful micro-organisms without adding chemicals or changing the taste or odour of water. It destroys germs by causing a molecular change in their DNA make-up that prevents them from multiplying and destroying their ability to spread disease,” explained Sood.

With gaseous chlorination also being undertaken for the water to rule out the possibility of bacterial contamination, the residents will get pure water now.

Heavy rains that cause excess turbidity will, however, halt this system and the plant will not be able to treat water optimally during those days. The water supply is hit during peak rainy season due to excess turbidity and little solution has been found to deal with it effectively so far.

To ensure continuous functioning of the plant, alternative power arrangements have also been put in place as water is purified on 24-hour basis. Advanced systems such as an alarm to alert the staff when the power supply is snapped are the key features of this plant.

As many as 13 employees have also been trained to handle the sensitive machines by the private company operating the system to ensure that they can operate the system on their own after two years, says Sood.