Virtually all bottled water production facilities utilize ozone technology in some way during the makeup and bottling processes.  Bottled water is wide-spread commercial market for ozone in which it is broadly used in makeup water purification, bottle and cap washing, and final filling.  A low concentration of ozone is dissolved into the product water just before bottling to disinfect the water, bottle and cap without leaving a residual disinfectant that can cause taste and odor complaints.  The disinfection of water and container also extends shelf life in the store, at work or at home. 

Gypsum cardboard Children’s clothes Useful clausesOzone dosing also provides a polishing function that eliminates tastes and odors that occur naturally in some source waters.

Final bottling of spring water requires tight control of the concentration of ozone to ensure a consistent balance between sanitation and bromate formation.  The ozone dose and contact time must be sufficient to inactivate bacteria, virus and parasites that might be present in the product during bottling.  However, the ozone dosing parameters must be controlled to minimize conversion of bromide ion to bromate.  (Under certain conditions, naturally occurring bromide ion may be oxidized  to bromate ion a regulated chemical.)
 

Maintaining tight control of ozone dosing at final bottling presents unique challenges.  Variables that impact the concentration of dissolved ozone include water temperature, flow rate, ozone generator output, mass transfer efficiency and system hydraulic retentention time.  Ozone dosing on a spring water filling line is diagramed in the accompanying images and includes the following:

An integrated ozone contact system built around an ozone generator with air or oxygen feed gas preparation and ozone reactor cell capable of producing up to one pound of ozone gas per day at water flow rates up to 120 gallons per minute.  Ozone mass transfer is provided via a venturi injector, recirculation pump, and specially designed and configured stainless steel contact tank. The control system integrates ozone generation and mass transfer with dissolved ozone sensors, liquid flow/pressure monitors and controls, ambient ozone gas detectors, and valve position indicators using state of the art PLC-based process control.  The entire process is readily controlled and monitored through an easy-to-use touch screen display.

Stainless steel contact tower.

Four process pumps:  A pump mounted on the integrated ozone contacting skid provides motive flow for the injector. Other pumps direct product water from the bottlers storage/contact tower to the contacting system, transfer incoming spring water to the skids contact tank, and deliver product water from the outlet of the contact tower to the filling equipment.

 Dissolved ozone sensors monitor the ozone concentration at the outlet of the contacting skid and the contacting tower.