Ozone Concentration: Why It Matters in Water Treatment

Sep 30, 2026 | Uncategorised

Ozone concentration is an important factor when evaluating an ozone system for water treatment. While ozone output is often measured in grams per hour, this number alone does not tell the complete story. The concentration of ozone in the gas can influence gas flow, mass transfer, equipment sizing and the overall treatment process.

We recently asked our LinkedIn community about the biggest misconceptions surrounding ozone. The most common answer was: “All ozone systems are the same.”

But ozone systems can differ in several important ways. One of them is ozone concentration.

What is ozone concentration?

Ozone concentration describes how much ozone is present in the gas leaving an ozone generator.

Two ozone generators can produce the same amount of ozone per hour while operating at different ozone concentrations. This means that the amount of carrier gas required to deliver the ozone can also differ.

For example, looking only at grams of ozone per hour does not provide the complete picture of how the system operates.

Why does ozone concentration matter in water treatment?

In water treatment, producing ozone is only the beginning of the process.

The ozone must also be transferred into the water and used effectively for the intended treatment objective. This is one reason why ozone concentration matters.

Gas flow can influence the design and operation of other parts of an ozone system. It may affect equipment sizing, mass transfer and how the ozone technology is integrated into the overall water treatment process.

Therefore, ozone generation and the surrounding treatment process should be considered together.

Ozone concentration vs. ozone output

Ozone output and ozone concentration describe two different things.

The amount produced over a certain period of time is referred to as ozone output. The amount of ozone present in the gas is referred to as ozone concentration.

Both are important when evaluating an ozone system.

Looking only at ozone output can therefore make it difficult to compare two ozone technologies accurately.

When evaluating an ozone system, consider questions such as:

How much ozone does the system produce?
At what ozone concentration?
How much gas needs to be handled?
How is the ozone transferred into the water?
How is the system integrated into the treatment process?

Together, these questions provide a more complete picture.

Look beyond ozone concentration

Ozone concentration is important, but it is still only one part of an ozone system.

Energy efficiency, mass transfer, process control and system design can also influence how the complete solution operates.

That is why an ozone generator should not be evaluated based on a single specification alone.

In the next article in this series, we will take a closer look at energy efficiency in ozone generation (coming Monday, October 12) and why energy consumption is another important factor when comparing ozone systems.

You will also soon be able to read more about ozone mass transfer in water treatment (coming Monday, October 19) and why producing ozone is only part of the process.

What is a good ozone concentration for water treatment?

The appropriate ozone concentration depends on the application, water quality, treatment objective and overall system design. Rather than looking at ozone concentration alone, it should be evaluated together with ozone output, gas flow, mass transfer and the requirements of the treatment process

Is ozone concentration the same as ozone output?

No. Ozone concentration describes how much ozone is present in the gas, while ozone output describes how much ozone the generator produces over a specific period of time, typically expressed in grams per hour. Both are important when evaluating an ozone system.

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