How to Best Extend the Membranes Lifetime? A Modules Management Strategy that Leverages 25 Years of Experience in Operating Membranes Facilities

The paper gathers the best practices of 25 years of experience in operating MF/UF membrane facilities and is based on an overview of 10 water treatment plants equipped with different membrane technologies of different generations. The paper notes the three key stages when the MF/UF system has to be secured: project design phase, day-to-day operation and in anticipation to the membrane replacement term. The manpower to allocate to fiber repairs should not be neglected and can represent consistent efforts but which are worthwhile compared to the cost of the membrane asset. The trend of fiber breakage is exponential after around 2 years of operation of the first load of modules.