A reverse osmosis (RO) bench-scale test and feasibility study was
completed for the city of Hutchinson, Kansas, to evaluate the technical feasibility and cost
of various RO pretreatment options and to recommend an approach to pilot testing for
converting remediation groundwater into beneficial reuse as a drinking water supply. Use
of RO in the remediation treatment process presents a novel approach to solving water
supply and groundwater contamination issues faced by many cities in the Midwest.
However, selecting the appropriate RO pretreatment method is considered critical to
achieving long-term, reliable, and cost-effective RO operations with minimal membrane
fouling.
The groundwater, which was contaminated by various industrial activities, contains
low levels of chlorinated solvents and relatively high concentrations of total dissolved
solids, chloride, and inorganic membrane foulants. The most common and widely used
method for removing chlorinated solvents from contaminated groundwater is air stripping.
However, use of an air stripper ahead of RO enhances the potential for iron and biological
fouling of the membranes. As an alternative, an air stripper could be placed after the RO
system. In this case, the primary concern is the compatibility of chlorinated solvents on
the membrane surface.
To assess RO fouling concerns and assist with pilot test planning, a detailed
evaluation and comparison of various RO pretreatment methods and water chemistries for
systems that incorporate air stripping for VOC-removal as both a pre-RO and post-RO
treatment step was completed. The results of this side-by-side comparison of cost and
performance issues, as well as the results of a RO bench-scale test, are presented to
show that RO can be cost-effectively applied in the remediation process for beneficial
reuse of contaminated groundwater for drinking water supply. Includes tables, figures.
| Edition : | Vol. - No. |
| File Size : | 1
file
, 1000 KB |
| Note : | This product is unavailable in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus |
| Number of Pages : | 16 |
| Published : | 06/17/2005 |
