Removing Radium with RO and Its Effects on Concentrate Disposal Pipeline Material

The San Antonio Water System (SAWS) is developing brackish groundwater supplies to enhance their available water supply options and help meet the growing water demand in the San Antonio, Texas area. The groundwater is characterized by 1,400 mg/L TDS, dissolved iron up to 0.7 mg/L, moderate silica (9 mg/L), pH 7.3, and 30¯C temperature. In addition, it has varying concentrations of combined radium (non-detect to 235 pCi/L) and radon-222 (50 to 433 pCi/L). SAWS is planning to treat this groundwater with reverse osmosis (RO) to achieve potable water standards.