UV Water Treatment System
In Aquaculture, maintaining water quality is essential for sustainable fish farming and efficient operations. DESMI’s AquaShield UV System offers a cutting-edge, chemical-free solution for water disinfection, ensuring superior performance even in challenging conditions.
Whether it's a recirculating Aquaculture system or off-shore Aquaculture, AquaShield delivers reliable results, making it an indispensable solutions for modern Aquaculture.
DESMI’s UV Water Treatment System provides advanced, chemical-free disinfection for aquaculture and fish farming operations, ensuring consistent water quality and biosecurity.
Using UV-C radiation, the system inactivates pathogens without introducing chemicals or harmful by-products, supporting sustainable and efficient production in both freshwater and seawater facilities.
Built on decades of marine and industrial experience, DESMI’s solutions are designed for long-term reliability, energy efficiency and full integration into modern aquaculture processes.
How UV treatment enhances fish farm performance
In fish farming and aquaculture, maintaining a stable microbial balance is crucial for animal health and high productivity. UV water treatment quickly destroys bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoans as water passes through the treatment chamber. This prevents disease outbreaks, minimises biological load and reduces the risk of cross-contamination between tanks or production stages.
Whether used for intake water or recirculated flow, DESMI’s UV technology ensures a clean water supply that supports healthy growth and optimises reuse, even in high-density systems. Watch our video about pump and UV solutions for aquaculture applications.
Proven benefits of UV treatment
- Improved biosecurity - Up to 99.99% pathogen inactivation rate, limiting infection transfer.
- Reduced antibiotic dependency - Supports antibiotic-free production, eliminating chemical residues.
- Higher survival and growth rates - Healthier stock, better feed conversion ratios and shorter cycles.
- Enhanced water clarity - Prevents algae blooms and maintains visual transparency throughout tanks.
- Lower operational costs - Primarily electricity-based operation, no chemicals required.
- Stable production conditions - Consistent microbial control enables predictable output.
- Environmental responsibility - Fully chemical-free system supporting sustainable farming objectives.
Design, technology and performance features
Each DESMI UV Water Treatment System is engineered for effective disinfection, low headloss and minimal maintenance. The system combines high-intensity UV-C lamps (200–280 nm), precision-engineered stainless-steel or HDPE chambers, protective quartz sleeves and integrated UV sensors that monitor intensity in real time for optimal dose delivery.
Systems can be configured for single-pass or recirculating applications, as well as pressurised closed piping or open-channel installations. Flow optimisation and laminar conditions ensure complete exposure of microorganisms, while robust lamp and power ballast design supports energy-efficient performance and long service life. Modular sizing makes it easy to scale from hatcheries to full-scale fish farms.
AquaShield is operated by a purpose-built software platform developed specifically for DESMI’s aquaculture UV systems. Designed as one common platform for Aqua Culture UV units, it makes commissioning easier and enables engineers to configure the system on site without direct support from the automation team.
Built on DESMI’s experience from BWMS control systems, the software introduces a simpler and more intuitive HMI for aquaculture operators. The interface focuses on key values needed during operation, including UV dose, UV intensity, UV transmission, flow, pressure, temperature, lamp power and system status. It continuously regulates treatment performance by adjusting lamp power according to the required UV dose and the water’s UV-Transmission, helping ensure reliable treatment while supporting efficient energy use.
The software supports NVI compliance by preventing regulation below the required minimum dose level, even if an incorrect setpoint is entered. It also integrates easily with the customer’s existing Site Control Systems, enabling control and monitoring of the UV units through the customer’s own operational platform.
Integration with Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS)
UV systems play a key role in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) by supporting water reuse and microbial stability. Installed after filtration or before biofilters, DESMI’s UV units inactivate free-floating pathogens while maintaining beneficial microbial flora. This limits biofouling on filtration membranes, ensures better oxygen transfer efficiency and supports consistent production parameters across RAS operations. The low headloss design and corrosion-resistant materials make DESMI UV units ideal for integration in advanced aquaculture processes where uptime and reliability are critical.
See also DESMI’s high-flow, low-pressure pumps for aquaculture systems.
Compliance and environmental safety
DESMI’s UV systems operate entirely without chemicals and are aligned with international environmental and aquaculture best practices. The non-selective UV-C disinfection approach inactivates microorganisms across species without forming toxic by-products or altering water chemistry.
Designs can be supplied in accordance with relevant industry standards and guidelines for ultraviolet disinfection in aquaculture applications. With corrosion-resistant materials, sealed electrical components and safety interlocks, DESMI systems ensure safe operation for personnel and aquatic life alike.
Maintenance, service and lifecycle support
DESMI supports every UV Water Treatment System with a comprehensive service and lifecycle programme. Preventive maintenance includes scheduled lamp replacement, cleaning of quartz sleeves, UV intensity sensor calibration and system audits for performance verification. Through DESMI’s global network, technical support and spare parts are available in more than 100 countries, ensuring continuous operation and long-term system efficiency. Remote monitoring and on-site service contracts can be tailored to match each facility’s operation and production cycle.
Field references and proven results
DESMI UV installations are operating successfully in aquaculture projects worldwide, from salmon hatcheries in Northern Europe to shrimp farms and RAS facilities in Asia. Documented results show reduced pathogen loads, improved fry and larval survival and lower antibiotic use. In RAS operations, UV-treated process water has contributed to clearer water, stable microbial performance and reduced mortality rates over successive production cycles. DESMI continues to collaborate closely with fish farmers and system designers to optimise solutions based on site-specific flow, water quality and production targets.
FAQ about UV water treatment in aquaculture
What is UV water treatment?
UV water treatment is a chemical-free method using ultraviolet light in the 200–280 nm range to inactivate microorganisms by damaging their DNA and RNA, preventing reproduction and disease spread.
How does UV treatment help fish farms?
It safeguards stock health by reducing pathogens in intake and recirculated water, preventing disease outbreaks and supporting faster growth and better survival rates.
Why use UV treatment in aquaculture?
It is a proven, sustainable disinfection method that removes the need for chemicals, delivers consistent water quality and prevents bacterial resistance.
How effective is UV water treatment?
DESMI systems achieve up to 99.99% microbial inactivation on contact, enabling stable operations and significant improvements in biosecurity and water clarity.
How does UV water treatment work?
As water passes through the treatment chamber, UV-C light penetrates microorganisms’ cell walls, causing irreversible DNA damage and preventing cell reproduction.
What is UV light used for in water treatment?
It effectively controls bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoans and algae spores, keeping aquaculture water clear and safe without altering its composition.
How does UV treatment improve water quality?
It continually reduces pathogen loads, stabilises microbial ecology and prevents algae blooms, leading to consistently clear, healthy water for aquaculture production.
How to integrate UV treatment into my system?
Integration depends on your facility design. DESMI engineers assist in selecting the correct configuration - closed pipe, open channel or submersible - ensuring proper sizing for flow rates and installing sensors for real-time UV performance monitoring.
Connect with DESMI specialists
Speak with DESMI’s technical team to identify the best UV Water Treatment System configuration for your aquaculture operation.
Our engineers provide comprehensive consultation on system design, capacity and integration into existing infrastructure.
Contact DESMI today to discuss your project or request detailed specifications and performance data.
