Selection of Membranes for a Greenfield Project through Pilot Studies

Jacobs was contracted to develop a design for a new 16.0 MGD drinking water plant at a greenfield site incorporating membrane treatment. Prior to design, the process was validated by a 6 month pilot study to understand the raw quality and the performance of the unit processes, specifically various membrane materials. This paper describes the bench-, pilot-scale studies conducted prior to design, strategies to control membrane fouling and optimizing performance. The results from this study provide utilities a comparison of the performance of various membrane materials through pilot studies, criteria used for their selection and design for incorporation in the full-scale plant.