AWWA WQTC57041

To gain a perspective on the industry's view of the future of membrane treatment, the leadership of AWWA Membrane Processes Committee (MPC) developed a questionnaire and sent it to a limited audience for completion. The questionnaire focused to a greater degree on low pressure membranes given that this segment of the industry is experiencing the most flux and growth. The primary recipients of the questionnaire were the MPC members, who include respected professionals from consulting, manufacturing, utilities and regulatory agencies, all actively engaged in the design, application, use and regulation of membrane treatment facilities. In addition, the questionnaire was sent to a select group of prominent members of academia and consulting external to the MPC. In total, the questionnaire was sent to thirty-two individuals (including the authors). Of these, responses were obtained from fifteen for about a 50-percent response rate. The questionnaire focused on four main categories of interest: general characteristics of plants; applications; costs; and, other. The General Characteristics category included questions such as: what will the low- pressure membrane plant of the future look like; how large will MF/UF plants be in 5, 10, 20 years; and, how large will NF/RO plants be (in the same timeframes)? In addition, questions addressing the evolving use of membranes in integrated treatment plants and the need for continued disinfection were also included. The Applications category included questions such as: will membranes become a standard feature of new water treatment plants; and, what are the impediments to more widespread use of low-pressure membranes? Costs category addressed capital and O&M costs in the future as well as whether MF/UF will be sufficiently inexpensive as to replace granular media filtration. In the Other category, high pressure membrane processes were addressed, including whether seawater RO will provide a significant source of drinking water for the US and what solution will be found for disposal of concentrates to allow the expanded use of NF and RO. The questionnaire concluded with questions regarding the future configuration of membrane systems, including geometry and standardization, and how many suppliers will exist in the marketplace for MF/UF in the next 5 to 20 years. The results of the questionnaire were not intended to provide a clear vision of how membranes will be utilized in the next two decades, but instead, to serve as a vehicle for discussion on what the authors consider to be the important questions regarding the future of the membrane industry. Includes tables, figures.