Koch Membrane Systems, Inc. (KMS), a developer and manufacturer of innovative membranes and membrane filtration systems, has earned State of California Water Recycling Criteria compliance certification for its PURON submerged membrane modules for membrane bioreactor (MBR) treatment of municipal and industrial wastewater. The use of advanced MBR technology in municipal wastewater treatment plants improves effluent quality and requires significantly less space than conventional methods.
The California Department of Health Services certified Title 22 compliance of the PURON membranes based on a report prepared by Montgomery Watson Harza that analyzed a PURON MBR pilot study conducted in San Diego, Calif. The PURON MBR pilot system achieved high quality effluent with BOD5 values below the detection limit of 2 mg/L for 100% of samples collected during the study period. The system also achieved complete nitrification and more than 5-log removal of inherent total and fecal coliforms and more than 3-log removal of inherent total coliphage.
Moreover, the PURON MBR system produced effluent with turbidity of less than 0.1 NTU for 100% of the samples collected while operating at peak flux of 35.3 GFD (60 LMH) during the six-day peaking study. The PURON MBR system achieved more than 1.0-log removal of MS-2 virus for more than 50% of the samples during the virus seeding experiments conducted before and after cleaning the membranes.
The PURON MBR system utilizes PURON submerged membrane modules. These modules feature polyethersulfone hollow fiber membranes with a nominal pore size of 0.05 micron. They are operated on the outside-to-inside principle; all solids and particulates remain on the outside of the membranes while permeate is pulled to the inside of the fibers under vacuum. The PURON module’s unique design affixes each bundle of hollow fibers in a header only at the lower end, while the upper ends of the hollow fibers are individually sealed and free to move, virtually eliminating the clogging issues typical of double header products. Highly effective scouring action is provided by an integrated air nozzle in the center of each bundle of hollow fibers introducing air where the risk of sludging is greatest.
Nick Powell, vice president of KMS municipal business, said, “We are delighted that KMS has earned independent validation of the value of this exciting product. We are looking forward to building on our already diverse list of industrial and municipal MBR applications.”
Source: Koch Membrane Systems, Inc.
