AWWA WQTC58890

Low pressure membrane filtration, such as microfiltration (MF) and ultrafiltration (UF), are at a critical stage in their development. The water treatment community needs the dispersed knowledge on these processes consolidated into a source that can be readily used as a reference to support the transition of membrane technology to large-scale applications (greater than 100 MGD). In addition, water systems considering smaller applications need a single, reliable and usable source of information on existing membrane installations to support informed decisions on the suitability of membranes for them. The membrane knowledge base developed through the project founded by the American Water Works Association Research Foundation (AwwaRF) will provide the drinking water community with a knowledge base of the installed MF/UF plants that are greater than 1 MGD. Another key component of the project is to generate an updated database of all installed MF/UF plants worldwide regardless of plant capacity. The database would list basic information of these installations, which includes the geographic location of the plant, the plant production startup date, the design of hydraulic capacity, the type of membrane, the manufacturer of the employed membrane, the membrane model, and the source of raw water to the membrane plant. Membrane vendors were contacted to provide the list of their existing installations of MF/UF water treatment plants and the future plants that have contracts granted. The project consists of two phases. In the first phase, a literature search and a comprehensive survey were conducted to capture the existing knowledge of full-scale MF/UF installations worldwide. In the second phase, the captured information was consolidated into a knowledge base and validated through follow-up phone calls and emails for questionable or additional information. The data intensive nature of this project calls for an approach to allow easy and quick access to all information by the project team. Hence, during the first phase, the project team developed a user-friendly interactive project web site to facilitate survey completion. The Membrane Knowledge Base web site also includes a searchable database of literature. The literature database includes abstracts of literature related to full-scale use of low pressure membranes for drinking water treatment. Pilot-scale studies having applicable information are also included. As of August 15, 2003, over 130 literature references have been included in the literature search database. A comprehensive questionnaire was developed to gather a wealth of information from membrane plants participating in the survey. Input from utility representatives, regulators, academics and consultants were used in developing the survey, to ensure it meets the needs of the entire membrane user community. Includes figures.