Application of Universal MF/UF Membrane Skid in a Full Scale Wastewater Reclamation Plant-Challenges and Future

During the last decade, the water industry has observed the dramatic increase in the application of Microfiltration (MF)/Ultrafiltration (UF) membranes for water and wastewater treatments. According to the latest report from the Global Water Intelligence, the global MF/UF membrane market is estimated to be around $220 mil. based on membrane sales only. If all the ancillary equipment and engineering /construction activities are included, the MF/UF membrane system already reached a multi-billion dollar market and the market is growing fast. One of the issues which hinder the further growth of the MF/UF membrane technology for the water and wastewater treatment is the non-standardized MF/UF membrane skid design. A universal membrane skid concept, in which the membrane system is designed to accommodate membrane modules from various manufacturers with minor system modifications, it is not necessary to pre-select the membrane manufacturer during the preliminary engineering stage and the membrane manufacturer can be selected during the construction stage via competitive bidding.