Desarrollo del proceso de desinfección para agua embotellada a base de Ozono (O3) en la Planta de Tratamiento de Agua Envasada de la Empresa Pública - Empresa Municipal de Agua Potable y Alcantarillado de Ambato (EP - EMAPA -A)

Abstract

Ecuador is one of the latin american countries with high levels of consumption for bottle water. The Ecuadorian Technical Norm NTE INEN 2 200:2008 establishes the physicochemical and microbiological parameters requested for water to be bottled up, focusing mainly in safeguard the integrity of users who consume this generalized product worldwide. This investigation was done seeing the need of Empresa Publica- Empresa Municipal de Agua Potable y Alcantarillado de Ambato (EP-EMAPA-A), for implementing an efficient disinfection process for bottled water, for this reason Ozone (O3) was chosen between the most effective, considering it`s high microbicidal power, short contact times and minimum quantities of by- products formed. Considering these criteria, it was determined that the optimum dose of ozone in water to be bottled is 0,15 mgO3/L (Dosage Scale: 1,75 g/h), maintaining a residual ozone concentration equivalent to 0,08 mgO3/L and 0,07 mg/L as demand for ozone required to disinfect water. These established concentrations are supported by previous physicochemical, microbiological and sensorial analyzes carried out to verify the quality and guarantee of the water that will be provided to the local community as an additional service by EP-EMAPA-A.