Evaluation of a UV/Ozone Treatment Process for Removal of MTBE in Groundwater Supplies in New Mexico

EPA's Office of Research and Development is funding pilot-scale studies on MTBE contaminated groundwater using UV/ozone treatment technology (254 nm UV, 5.8 mg/L ozone). The pilot-scale treatment system consists of a GW well pump, a feed tank, a pretreatment system (water softener with iron reduction), a low-pressure UV/ozone treatment system, and GAC post treatment. Treatability studies have been conducted by graduate students at New Mexico State University to determine the effectiveness of UV/ozone treatment on well water contaminated by underground plumes of MTBE and other volatile organic compounds. NMSU found UV/ozone treatment to be highly effective for removing MTBE and MTBE byproducts in groundwater. The MTBE concentrations after treatment were significantly lower (0.4–7.7 μg/L) as compared to the initial influent concentrations (127–251 μg/L). However, acetone was formed during oxidation of MTBE. Future field studies are planned to investigate the impact of enhanced ozone/medium-pressure UV on MTBE and MTBE byproduct removal and alternative technologies for acetone removal.