Integrated Membrane Systems

This AWWA Research Foundation report gives you the newest findings on the use of integrated membrane systems - pretreatment processes combined with conventional nanofiltration or reverse osmosis membranes.

Membrane processes can remove a broad range of contaminants from raw water --pathogens, disinfection by-product precursors, synthetic organic chemicals, and inorganic contaminants. However, membranes (especially nanofiltration and reverse osmosis membranes) are susceptible to fouling which causes frequent downtime. Pretreatment reduces colloidal, organic, and biological fouling of the membranes, as well as scaling. Additionally, pretreatment also provides superior finished water quality due to the extra filtration.

This study comprehensively evaluated the suitability of several integrated membrane systems for a number of raw water sources. Integrated membrane systems using the following surface water pretreatments were tested on pilot-plant scale in comparison to a conventional membrane system for anaerobic groundwater.