The Membrane Revolution

Nov. 13, 2007

The use of membrane technology for drinking water production, wastewater treatment and reuse is not new—it has been around for decades. So why the recent years’ spotlight on this technology?

The answer is simple: the drastic reduction in the costs to refurbish or construct and operate membrane water and wastewater treatment facilities.

In my line of work, I frequently receive press releases announcing new water and wastewater plant openings or retrofits implementing membrane technologies. Moreover, the emphasis of these success stories has changed from groundbreaking membrane technology to a cost-effective, solution-based approach for various applications.

Reduction in cost is not the only factor. In recent years, membrane manufacturers have put a lot of research into improving membrane system efficiency and developing systems with a smaller footprint in order to fit a wide range and size of applications. As a result, membrane technology is high on the radar for plant managers and engineers, and dynamic growth in membrane technology sales reflects the industry’s interest.

According to the online report “RO/UF/MF World Markets,” released by the McIlvaine Co., sales of filtration membranes and equipment is expected to reach $11 billion by 2011, with reverse osmosis membranes representing 45% of the total sales; ultrafiltration and nanofiltration accounting for 20% of the market; and microfiltration accounting for 30% of the market.

Consumer and industrial demand for clean water, along with the ability of membrane technology to deliver alternative sources of safe drinking water to people all over the world, will continue to drive industry interest in this technology.

In an effort to provide you with key issues and applications of membrane technology, Water & Wastes Digest is pleased to bring you the Fall 2007 edition of Membrane Technology. Featuring selected technical and special focus articles, we trust Membrane Technology will offer insight to the rapidly expanding membrane market.

About the Author

Neda Simeonova

Sponsored Recommendations

Blower Package Integration

March 20, 2024
See how an integrated blower package can save you time, money, and energy, in a wastewater treatment system. With package integration, you have a completely integrated blower ...

Strut Comparison Chart

March 12, 2024
Conduit support systems are an integral part of construction infrastructure. Compare steel, aluminum and fiberglass strut support systems.

Energy Efficient System Design for WWTPs

Feb. 7, 2024
System splitting with adaptive control reduces electrical, maintenance, and initial investment costs.

Blower Isentropic Efficiency Explained

Feb. 7, 2024
Learn more about isentropic efficiency and specific performance as they relate to blowers.