AWWA WQTC58995

Membrane fouling which is a very sensitive issue for membrane application is also a very complex phenomenon, due to its large variety. There are four main categories of fouling: biological, organic, colloidal and mineral. The autopsy of membranes which is a destructive analytical method is also an excellent tool to define very precisely the nature of the deposits. Located in the suburbs of Paris, the Mry-sur-Oise drinking water plant was extended to a 37 mgd capacity nanofiltration (NF) membrane process four years ago. Membrane studies, which were carried out in a pilot plant, started five years before the full scale NF WTP. The objectives were to define the treatment process and the operating conditions which minimize the risk of membrane fouling. Autopsies have been performed on NF membranes, which have been used for some weeks or for several years and fed by the process waters of Mry-sur-Oise WTP. This paper presents all the results of the autopsies performed on NF membranes stemming from pilot units dedicated to antiscalant testing. Includes 7 references, table, figures.