Evaluating the Next Generation of Water Reclamation Processes

The proper evaluation of advanced waste treatment (AWT) process alternatives for water reclamation (WR) is particularly important for those planning new or expanded facilities. Recent advances in technology, particularly with regard to the successful use of membranes in wastewater treatment applications, have provided the industry with many possible process combinations that did not exist just a few years ago.The focus of the paper will be on an evaluation that compared conventional and membrane AWT processes for thereclamation of municipal wastewater. The evaluation led to the determination that membrane bioreactor (MBR) processes are suitable for large-scale WR applications. The evaluation also led to the development of a unique process configuration using two immersed membrane reactors in series. The first reactor is a multi-zone MBR for biological treatment configured for nutrient removal and the second reactor is an immersed membrane reactor with powdered-activated carbon (PAC) addition for the removal of residual organic materials. The results of the study andthe innovative solutions described in the paper may set the tone for WR in the twenty-first century.