Disinfection is the destruction of disease causing organisms such as bacteria, viruses and Giardia. The District decided to switch from chlorine to ozone for primary disinfection to meet these requirements. Ozone is a very powerful disinfectant and it works in much less time than required with chlorine. Utilizing chlorine alone to meet the new disinfection requirements would have increased the formulation of chlorinated by-products which are potential health threats to water consumers. This facility is the largest ozonation plant in New England and first in the country to meet the disinfection requirement of the Surface Water Treatment Rule with ozone alone.
Ozone consists of three oxygen atoms joined together into a single molecule of ozone.
It is produced by the discharge of electricity in air. Lightening produces ozone naturally by splitting oxygen molecules so they can recombine into ozone. This is similar to the process used at the plant to produce ozone. Ordinary air is brought into the plant with air compressors and dried in two stages using refrigerant and desiccant air dryers. The dry air is then passed through one or more of the ozone generators.