ABSTRACT
The scope of this project was to determine if low pressure membranes such as nanofiltration (NF) and ultra-low pressure reverse osmosis (ULPRO) membranes can meet water quality requirements necessary for indirect potable reuse while meeting acceptable operational parameters such as feed pressure, permeate flux, and flux decline. A total of 12 NF and ULPRO membranes were screened in this study and one ULPRO and one NF membrane were selected for a pilot-scale assessment (19 gpm) at a water reuse facility. Results of this study suggest that ULPRO and NF membranes can achieve similar removal efficiencies for the selected trace organics, nitrogen and bulk parameters tested as commonly employed RO membranes. While providing a similar water quality, these membranes can be operated at significantly lower feed pressures. These results suggest that ULPRO and NF membranes are viable for water reuse projects where a high permeate quality is required. |
|
