The Role Of Membrane Bioreactors in Addressing Chesapeake Bay Challenges

This paper will focus on the current water quality of the Chesapeake in comparison to other areas, address ongoing initiatives to reduce pollutants that help preserve wildlife as well as protect human health, and provide a status overview of five (5) Membrane Bio-Reactor (MBR) projects in the region. Membrane technologies, specifically MBR, provide a reliable treatment option that can easily be customized to produce the desired water quality. MBR can consistently meet low nutrient discharge limits by producing an effluent typically lower than BOD of 3; TSS of 1; NH3-N of 0.5; total nitrogen of 3; total Phosphorus of 0.05 mg/L and Turbidity of 0.2 NTU.