UV Solutions

Innovations for Industry, Public Health & the Environment

Cheers to Health! One Water UV’s 2026 Vision

By Corresponding Authors Castine A. Bernardy, Ph.D., CDM Smith; and James P. Malley, Jr., Ph.D., Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New Hampshire

This issue’s column provides an overview of the current market forecast, a listing of peer-reviewed papers and a summary of upcoming conferences.

A Snapshot of the UV Technology Global Market

Multiple AI-driven market searches for the period ending December 31, 2025, were used to provide the most up-to-date estimates and account for uncertainties. Results and analysis are based upon the most recent reports from Grandview Research, 1 Research and Markets, 2 MarketsandMarkets, 3 GM Insights 4 and Business Research Insights. 5

This analysis yielded the following broad summary. The market for ultraviolet (UV) disinfection of water is expected to grow from approximately USD 3.87 billion in 2025 to as much as USD 12.07 billion by 2030, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) that forecasts estimate at over 15%. This growth primarily is driven by rising concerns over waterborne diseases and the increasing demand for chemical-free disinfection solutions in municipal, industrial and commercial applications. 

Market Drivers and Trends:

  • Strict Regulations: Governments worldwide are enforcing stringent water quality standards, pushing municipalities and industries to adopt effective and compliant treatment methods such as UV disinfection.
  • Technological Advancements: Innovations, such as energy-efficient UV-C LED systems and the integration of smart monitoring and Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities, are enhancing efficiency and performance.
  • Chemical-free Solutions: The demand for environmentally friendly and chemical-free disinfection methods is rising, positioning UV technology as a preferred alternative to traditional chlorination.
  • Rapid Urbanization and Industrialization: Expanding populations and industrial activities, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, are increasing the need for robust water treatment infrastructure.
  • Post-pandemic Awareness: Heightened public awareness of hygiene and pathogen control following the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of UV solutions in various settings, including healthcare and commercial spaces. 

Key Challenges:

  • High Initial Costs: The initial installation and capital expenditure of UV systems can be high, which may limit adoption, especially in cost-sensitive regions or smaller-scale operations.
  • Maintenance Requirements: UV systems require regular maintenance, including the replacement of UV lamps (which have a limited lifespan) and cleaning of quartz sleeves, necessitating a skilled technical workforce.
  • Water Turbidity Limitations: The effectiveness of UV disinfection can be compromised by high water turbidity (particles) or suspended solids, often requiring additional and costly pre-treatment processes.
  • Lack of Residual Protection: Unlike chemical disinfectants, UV treatment offers no residual effect, meaning water can be microbiologically contaminated after treatment in extensive distribution networks, sometimes requiring a secondary disinfection method. 

Recent Publications Related to UV Technology and One Water

The areas of growing interest related to the use of UV technology in “One Water” can be summarized as falling into a few general areas: 1) the continuing advances in UV LED technology, leading to more full-scale applications of UV LED systems in conventional municipal wastewater disinfection and in municipal drinking water disinfection; 2) continuing developments and advancements in the use of UV-driven advanced oxidation processes in water reuse applications; 3) continuing research and development scale work in the possible use of UV-driven technologies, such as advanced reduction processes, to treat PFAS, and other emerging “forever chemicals”; and 4) a wide array of UV-driven research into other emerging organic micropollutants, including microplastics. These are captured in the following literature review and summary of upcoming conference presentations.

Multiple scientific search engines have been used to identify peer-reviewed articles which may be of interest to professionals working in UV technology for the “One Water” segment. This quarter’s search identified ~200,000 citations, therefore the criteria: published between October 1 and December 31, 2025, most cited articles, timeliness of topic relative to reader interests (e.g., UV LEDs, forever chemicals, emerging pathogens of interest) and/or the quality of the journal publishing the work were used to produce the following list – capped at 10 for the sake of publication length.

  1. Zhu, Yangmo, et al. “Photocatalytic Degradation of PFAS Under Field Water Matrix Conditions Using an Adsorptive Photocatalyst.” Water Research X (2026): 100485.
  2. Juve, Jan-Max Arana, et al. “Closed-Loop UV-Activated Solvent-Based PFCAs Defluorination and Adsorbent Regeneration.” Environmental Science & Technology Letters (2025).
  3. Gao, Jinyu, et al. “Temperature effect on per-and polyfluoroalkyl substance degradation by ultraviolet/sulfite: Insights on lamp heat, molecular transformation, and photochemical principles.” Environmental Science & Technology (2025).
  4. Zhang, Zoe, et al. “Perchlorate Reduction with Integrated Photochemical and Catalytic Processes.” Environmental Science & Technology Letters (2025).
  5. Jiang, Fang, et al. “Self-sustaining reduction-oxidation coupling driven by hydrated electrons and reactive bromine species for synergistic PFAS defluorination and bromate detoxification in bromide-rich water under UV/sulfite.” Water Research (2025): 124049.
  6. Feng, Zhuoran, et al. “Deep Insight of the Mechanism for Nitrate-Promoted PFASs Defluorination in UV/Sulfite ARP: Activation of the Decarboxylation–Hydroxylation–Elimination–Hydrolysis Degradation Pathway.” Environmental Science & Technology 59.20 (2025): 10087-10097.
  7. Ou, Jieli, et al. “Transformation of microplastics during UV-LED based water disinfection: Mechanistic insights and environmental implications.” Journal of Hazardous Materials (2025): 139121.
  8. Moore, Nathan, et al. “Disinfection byproducts and cellular toxicity from UV/chlorine advanced oxidation for potable reuse and drinking water treatment compared to chlorination and UV/hydrogen peroxide.” Science of The Total Environment 1011 (2026): 181151.
  9. Hu, Chen-Yan, et al. “Transformation of dissolved organic matter at molecular level during UV222/chlorine process.” Journal of Water Process Engineering 81 (2026): 109347.
  10. Schober, Jaya Das, et al. “UV‐Activated Advanced Oxidation of MTBE and TBA: A Comparison of Sulfate and Hydroxyl‐Radical Treatment Processes.” Water Environment Research 98.1 (2026): e70254.

UV-Related Conferences in 2026

In 2026, numerous major conferences will address UV disinfection technologies for water treatment, ranging from specialized UV-LED forums to large-scale international water exhibitions.

In addition, The Wavelength of the Year is an international initiative of the photonics community that annually focuses attention on a specific wavelength or wavelength range. The goal is to highlight the importance of photonics for industry, science and society, and to emphasize its contribution to innovation, value creation, and jobs and employment in photonics. The initiative is supported by international and national associations from photonics, optics, laser and lighting technology. The Wavelength of the Year 2026 is dedicated to ultraviolet (UV) light. UV technologies play a vital role in health, the environment, industrial processes and high-tech applications. The Advanced UV for Life and OptecBB associations will be responsible for the implementation and coordination in 2026. The aim is to bundle applications and innovations in the UV sector throughout the year and to highlight their social and economic benefits. Further information on activities, participation opportunities and materials will be available at https://www.advanced-uv.de/en/onwavelength-wavelength-of-the-year/.

BIG IDEAS for UV+EB Technology Conference (March 2-3, 2026, USS Midway, San Diego) focuses on cutting-edge UV/EB curing applications in advanced manufacturing, automotive, defense, wearables and next-gen printing, featuring sessions on recyclable polymers, robotics, functional printing and sustainability, plus unique daytime tours of local manufacturing sites. Key themes include materials innovation, process efficiency, market drivers and future trends, bringing together industry leaders, academics and startups for networking and exploring new frontiers in light-curing technology. Offered by the IUVA’s sister organization, there are topics such as advances in UV LED technology that overlap with the UV Solutions readership. Specifics can be found at https://bigideasconference.com/.

The International Conference on UV-LED Technologies & Applications (ICULTA) takes place from April 21-24, 2026, in Berlin, Germany. The 4th Annual ICULTA promises to be a leading global forum supported by the International Ultraviolet Association (IUVA) covering the full UV LED value chain, including water disinfection applications and Far UV-C innovations. Specifics can be found at https://www.advanced-uv.de/events/iculta-2026/.

The International Conference on Far-UVC Science and Technology (ICFUST 2026) takes place from June 23-25, 2026, in Aarhus, Denmark. In recent years, ICFUST has established itself as an international forum for the scientific exchange on Far-UVC fundamentals, safety, regulation and applications. In 2026, the conference will once again bring together experts from research, industry and authorities. ICFUST 2026 is hosted by the Group of Integrated Photonics at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of Aarhus University. Further information on the program, abstract submission and registration is available at https://conferences.au.dk/icfust.

Other Conferences of Interest

In 2026, major conferences will address UV disinfection technologies for water treatment, ranging from specialized UV LED forums to large-scale international water exhibitions.

WateReuse Symposium will be held March 8-11, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. The conference focus includes comprehensive coverage of water recycling technologies, in which UV disinfection and advanced oxidation processes (AOP) are central to potable and non-potable reuse projects. Specifics can be found at https://watereuse.org/news-events/conferences/symposium-2026/.

ACE26 – AWWA Annual Conference & Exposition will be held June 21-24, 2026, in Washington, D.C. This conference is the premier event for drinking and one water professionals. Numerous posters, presentations and special topic sessions address comprehensive aspects of UV technology applied to drinking and one water applications. Specifics can be found at https://ace.awwa.org/frequently-asked-questions/. UV Solutions Q2 2026 also will provide additional information on presentations to be made at ACE26.

WEFTEC 2026 will be held September 26-30, 2026, in New Orleans, Louisiana. This is North America’s largest water quality event, highlighting the latest innovations in wastewater disinfection, water reuse and reclamation, and treatment of emerging contaminants, all involving UV technologies as well as emphasizing research and development from the largest municipal UV applications in wastewater. Specifics can be found at https://www.weftec.org/. UV Solutions Q3 2026 also will provide additional information on presentations to be made at WEFTEC 2026.

IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition 2026 will be held October 4-8, 2026, in Glasgow, Scotland. This conference convenes a gathering of the International Water Association (IWA), featuring global research on water treatment and disinfection from the foremost global water research groups and academicians. UV technology research, development and applications are presented in concurrent sessions each year. Specifics can be found at https://www.iwa-network.org/events.

AWWA Water Quality Technology Conference (WQTC) 2026 will be held November 15-19, 2026, in Memphis, Tennessee. This specialty conference targets the technical aspects of water quality and treatment science, including advanced disinfection research from top researchers in UV technology with work related to LEDs, PFAS, microplastics and other timely topics supported by WateRF grants. Specifics can be found at https://www.awwa.org/event/water-quality-technology/. UV Solutions Q3 2026 will also provide additional information on presentations to be made at WQTC 2026. 

References:

  1. Grandview Research, https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/ultraviolet-uv-disinfection-equipment-market
  2. Research and Markets, https://www.researchandmarkets.com/articles/key-companies-in-ultraviolet-disinfection?srsltid=AfmBOop6y8EHxsbo96T2HSA9yZz84pkiF0zKPbh9dW5Oi-37mGGE2fPc
  3. MarketsandMarkets, https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/uv-disinfection-market-217291665.html
  4. GM Insights, https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/uv-disinfection-system-market
  5. Business Research Insights, https://www.businessresearchinsights.com/market-reports/uv-water-treatment-systems-market-107910