Fact Sheet
Log removal values in wastewater treatment
Pathogen management in wastewater
Effective management of waterborne pathogens in
wastewater to safe levels is critical to protect human health
and the environment. Pathogens in this context include
certain species of virus, bacteria, protozoa and helminths.
The effectiveness of wastewater treatment processes is
measured using a concept called ‘log removal values’ (LRVs),
which are applied to each collective ‘group’ of pathogens
(i.e. LRV for virus, LRV for bacteria, etc.).
What is a log removal value?
A log removal value (LRV) is a measure of the ability of a
treatment processes to remove pathogenic microorganisms.
LRVs are determined by taking the logarithm of the ratio of
pathogen concentration in the influent and effluent water of
a treatment process (shown in Equation 1).
Equation 1 - Calculation of LRV from pathogen concentration data
An LRV of 1 is equivalent to 90% removal
of a target pathogen, an LRV of 2 is
equivalent to 99% removal and an LRV of 3
is equivalent to 99.9% removal and so on.
Treatment processes may be effective through physical
removal of pathogens or through pathogen inactivation
without physical removal (e.g. through disinfection
processes). From a log reduction
perspective, the result is identical. That
is, whether the pathogen is physically
removed or simply inactivated, a log
reduction of the pathogen from the
treatment process applies.
Figure 1 The LRV required is determined by source water quality and treatment goal required
Water Research Australia Water for the wellbeing of all Australians
Fit for purpose treatment and acceptable risk
When designing a treatment scheme, treatment processes
(also known as process barriers) are selected to satisfy
diverse water quality requirements influenced by
environmental risk (e.g. nutrient removal), aesthetic issues
(e.g. colour removal) and risks posed to human health (e.g.
pathogen removal).
The difference between the initial wastewater quality and
the target water quality required to comply with the health,
environmental and aesthetic requirements determines
the level of treatment required (Figure 1). The treatment
requirement target is expressed as an LRV for each pathogen
group, with the system treatment processes needing to
provide at least the specified LRV for each pathogen group.
In practice, because of the differential response of pathogen
groups to treatment and inactivation processes, adequate
reduction of the most difficult to treat group may result in
other groups being reduced by a greater degree than their
specified minimum LRVs.
To assess the risk to human health, the Disability Adjusted
Life Year (DALYs) concept is the preferred metric. An
alternative approach adopted in the United States uses a
1 in 10,000 infection risk, which delivers a similar treatment
outcome. The main difference between these approaches is
that the DALY accounts for the severity of the consequences,
whereas the US approach doesn’t. In general, Australia has
adopted the DALY approach, which is consistent with that
recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
WaterRA has published a separate DALY Fact Sheet for those
seeking a more in depth discussion on this concept.
April2014 Page 1
How are LRVs determined? To ensure safety, conservative steps are taken with this
calculation. The high range concentration of the pathogen in
LRVs are determined for a process by measuring influent
the source water should be used and the minimum process
and effluent pathogen concentrations during what is known
LRVs are summed to provide a conservative assessment of
as challenge testing. Where a process has a well-accepted
scheme performance. An example is provided in Figure 2.
history of challenge testing, default values for LRV are
often available, such as those in Table 3.4 of the Australian Table 3.8 of the AGWR (2006) provides log removal
Guidelines for Water Recycling (AGWR 2006). requirements related to various end uses that have been
calculated in the manner above, although with different feed
Pathogen species and concentrations in wastewater are
water concentration. Table 3.8 also provides onsite controls
highly variable, making it practically impossible to measure
associated with end use, such as drip irrigation, that may
for each and every individual pathogen. Therefore, suitable
reduce exposure and hence require a lower scheme LRV to
reference pathogens from each group (i.e. virus, bacteria,
achieve acceptable risk.
etc.) are typically selected and measured to ‘validate’ the
effectiveness of the treatment process.
Process validation and water quality objectives
According to the AGWR (2006), suitable reference pathogens
LRV may be used to assess unit operations during design;
(refer Table 3.1, AGWR 2006) are those that represent the
however, it is necessary to investigate and confirm the
worst case combination of:
assigned LRV during commissioning and operation. This
• High occurrence
testing during commissioning is referred to as validation.
• High concentration in water to be recycled
Validation of a process involves identification of critical
• High pathogenicity
control points (CCPs) and setting of critical control limits
• Low removal in treatment
(CCLs) such that, within this operating envelope, the process
• Long survival in the environment
achieves its minimum design LRV.
In some cases, verification of process LRV by challenge
An example of this approach in practice would be monitoring
testing may be conducted using surrogates for pathogens
UV transmittance to assure the performance of a UV
known as indicators. Ideally, indicators should be removed to
disinfection unit. The validation testing stage confirms a
a lesser or equivalent extent than the target pathogen and
performance envelope for LRV within a CCL range. After the
be present in source water at a higher concentration.
unit is then commissioned into operation, an established
A higher concentration of indicator organisms present in the water safety plan would specify corrective actions if UV
influent wastewater will allow demonstration of a higher LRV transmittance fell outside of the CCLs.
before the method detection limit results in censored ‘> LRVs’
As the online monitoring techniques used to monitor CCPs
with an unspecified upper bound. For example, the high levels
cannot measure pathogens directly, a water safety plan or
of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in wastewater allow it to be used as
compliance requirements may also specify a regular offline
an indicator for bacterial pathogen LRV through a process.
sampling regime for pathogens or indicator organisms. In this
context, E. coli is monitored as an index organism representative
How are LRVs used? of bacterial faecal contamination through the scheme.
LRVs for individual unit operations connected in series in a
process train are added, resulting in a total process LRV. If Further Reading
the source water concentration of the reference pathogen is
AGWR (2006): NRMMC/EPHC (2006). Australian Guidelines
known and the produced water concentration is determined
for Water Recycling: Managing Health and Environmental
via consideration of the end use, then a scheme target LRV
Risks (phase 1). Canberra, Australia, Natural Resource
can be calculated by substitution into Equation 1.
Management Ministerial Council,
Environment Protection and
Heritage Council.
Disability-adjusted life year
(DALYs): What are they and how
are they used?, WaterRA Fact
Sheet (Nov 2013).

Figure 2- Evaluation of an arbitrary multiple barrier scheme to reduce rotavirus to a level acceptable
for municipal irrigation at a golf course. Minimum LRVs are summed for each unit operation to assess
whether the target LRV can be met. Individual unit LRVs (in process boxes) were taken from Table 3.4
and typical rotavirus concentrations in raw sewage from Table 3.6 of the (AGWR 2006). Final rotavirus
concentration of 0.032 rotavirus/L (< than the required 0.05 rotavirus/L) was calculated with Equation
1 using 100,000 rotavirus/L in the raw sewage and 6.5 as the minimum train LRV.

Water Research Australia Water for the wellbeing of all Australians April 2014 Page 2
Water Research Australia Water for the wellbeing of all Australians April 2014 Page 2
Water Research Australia Water for the wellbeing of all Australians April 2014 Page 2