This article explains the treatment objective, the design information that matters and the operating checks that help keep the system practical after installation.
What ozone is and how it disinfects
Ozone (O₃) is generated on-site using an ozone generator (typically via electrical discharge or UV light acting on oxygen) and injected into water, where its strong oxidising property inactivates bacteria, viruses and certain other microorganisms, and can also break down some organic compounds and certain taste/odour-causing substances. Unlike chlorine, ozone is generated as needed rather than stored and dosed from a stock solution, and it does not leave a chemical residue in the same way — it reverts back to oxygen relatively quickly after reacting.
Ozone versus chlorine: a different set of trade-offs
Chlorine provides a residual disinfection effect that continues protecting water as it moves through storage and distribution, which ozone generally does not provide once the ozone has broken down. Ozone can be effective against some organisms and compounds that are more resistant to chlorine, and avoids certain chlorine by-product concerns, but the lack of ongoing residual protection means ozone is often paired with a small chlorine or other residual disinfectant dose downstream, particularly where treated water will be stored before use.
Where ozone is typically used
Ozone treatment is more commonly seen in specific applications — bottled/packaged water treatment, certain industrial process water applications, and some larger municipal or commercial systems — rather than as a standard component of typical household RO systems in Bangladesh, where UV disinfection is more commonly paired with RO due to its lower equipment cost and simpler operation for smaller-scale use.
Practical considerations
Ozone generation equipment and the materials used in ozone-contact piping and tanks need to be compatible with ozone's strong oxidising properties — not all standard plastics and elastomers hold up well to ozone exposure over time, which is a design detail worth confirming with whoever specifies an ozone-based system rather than assuming standard plumbing materials are automatically suitable.
Deciding whether ozone is relevant to a specific requirement
Whether ozone treatment makes sense for a specific application depends on the scale, the specific disinfection or oxidation goal, and whether residual protection downstream of treatment is needed — a packaged-water plant's requirements are quite different from a household's, and the appropriate disinfection approach should be assessed against the specific application rather than assumed from ozone's general reputation as an advanced treatment method.
Need a treatment recommendation for your water?
Send the water source, intended use, approximate demand and any available test report. Waterwise Bangladesh can review the requirement and discuss an appropriate treatment approach.
