Membrane bioreactors (MBR's) are an example of a type of emerging technology used in the
field of wastewater treatment that has been successfully applied to a variety of relatively small
wastewater treatment plants (WWTP's) throughout the United States. A beneficial reuse
program for the effluents generated from these WWTP's has been developed. Spurred on by the
many applications of these systems there have been two primary changes that have occurred
in the development of the MBR technology over the past few years, which have affected the
selection process of the system used, its application, and procurement and have included the
following:
based on the success of these small WWTP's, larger MBR facilities are being planned,
permitted, designed, and constructed for the purpose of providing reclaimed water for reuse; and,
the competition between the four major manufacturers', as well as others that have
recently joined the wastewater membrane market, offering similar membrane equipment is
intensifying.
Each of the above changes has resulted in an increased and more complex decision-making process
during the planning, permitting, and design and procurement stages of a project that will utilize
this technology.
The selection process to determine the most appropriate membrane equipment for a particular
application depends on a number of factors, which include, but are not limited to capital and
operating costs, space limitations, level of service requirements, and many others. Moreover, the
fundamental criteria such as the method of cleaning, membrane life (projected and historical),
comparable operations, and technical support are all important to the successful operation of a
MBR system. Other factors that must be considered in the evaluation of MBR options include
the configuration of the installed equipment, which ultimately impacts the tankage dimensional
requirements.
This paper describes the competitive bidding and evaluation approaches that have been utilized,
the various selection criteria that are considered during the procurement of membrane equipment
for MBR projects that involve reclaimed water reuse. The paper provides the reader with an
evaluation and comparison of the various types of membrane equipment in use today throughout
the United States noting their advantages and disadvantages, and describes the various uses
of membranes in the field of wastewater treatment and reclaimed water reuse, and project costs
for the various systems. Finally, the paper discusses case studies based on actual operational
data from existing facilities that are in operation today in the United States that are currently
providing the treatment and beneficial reuse of wastewaters. Includes tables, figures.
| Edition : | Vol. - No. |
| File Size : | 1
file
, 330 KB |
| Note : | This product is unavailable in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus |
| Number of Pages : | 15 |
| Published : | 01/11/2004 |
