Scottish Water gets accreditation to use novel virus removal technology

TECHNOLOGY UPDATE

Scottish Water has received accreditation to use a new method for monitoring the effectiveness of water treatment in removing viruses that are harmful to humans.

The accreditation from United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) enables Scottish Water to test for somatic coliphages which are themselves insignificant for human health but which can be useful indicators of the survival of other viruses, such as Norovirus, through the water treatment process. Scottish Water has reoprted that early data shows that water treatment process is highly effective at their removal.

The Scottish government instructed Scottish Water to adopt new EU Drinking Water Directive regulations that require the company to comply with the new regulations. These include the testing for somatic coliphages which is not a requirement anywhere else in the UK.

Somatic coliphages themselves are of no significance for human health but can be useful indicators of the survival of other viruses through the water treatment process and early data shows that the water treatment process is highly effective at their removal.