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Water treatment facilities across the United States are upgrading their facilities,and as a result, may be considering MF/UF technology as an option. There aremany reasons for this trend including: regulatory requirements (both existing andfuture).The future is now with respect to low-pressure membrane treatment(microfiltration (MF) and ultrafiltration (UF)). The market has become increasinglycompetitive, which results in exceptionally cost-effective treatment facilities,especially when considering the quality of the finished water. As the market hasbecome more competitive, membrane system suppliers are becoming moreaggressive with their applications as well as with their overall design. There islimited long-term installation information for most of these systems; however, theoperating (and piloting) results for most of these systems are very exciting.Based on the available data, it appears that "traditional" membrane designs (i.e.those over a year or so old) may have been very conservative. This is due to thelimited operational data at that time as well as membrane module warranties thatplace a significant risk on the supplier should the membranes not perform or foulat a quicker rate than expected. As a result, engineers and vendors correctlyopted for conservative membrane system designs.However, since the competition in the MF/UF marketplace has increasedsignificantly over the past few years, membrane suppliers are becoming moreaggressive with their designs, which have translated into much more costeffectivemembrane systems. However, as the suppliers are developing moreaggressive designs, proper engineering evaluations, effective procurementdocumentation and clearly defined purchase and warranty contracts are morecritical than ever to ensure a quality installation at the lowest possible cost to apublic water system.Membranes can fit in a variety of applications. They can be used post-filtrationas a final polishing step; they can be used to replace existing gravity filters; and,depending on raw water quality, they can be used in lieu of an entireconventional treatment facility. The evaluation of the best membrane applicationfor a specific water system is a balance of costs vs. risk tolerance.A number of water treatment facilities across the United States are facing facilityupgrades and low-pressure membranes will undoubtedly be one of the manyoptions considered. A number of site-specific issues must be addressed atindividual facilities, and, to date, little industry guidance is available to publicwater systems when considering membrane technology and its most costeffectiveapplication point. Accordingly, this paper highlights some of theissues that should be addressed, which are based on a real-life example recentlyexperienced in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

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Edition: Vol. - No. Published: 03/05/2003 Number of Pages: 7File Size: 1 file , 200 KB