Assessment and optimisation of the operation of integrated membrane system for wastewater reclamation

Abstract

The combination of two membrane technologies coupled together in series has become a standard technology when it comes to producing reclaimed water of high quality for potable reclamation or industrial applications. This combination of two membrane processes is referred to as integrated membrane systems (IMS). Despite the widespread experience gained utilizing such a process technology around the world, there are a number of aspects of the process technology which require further investigation including the fate of compounds of emerging concern (CEC), the control of N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) formation, the use of energy associated with the process and the total cost of producing the reclaimed water, and monitoring membrane integrity in RO treatment processes. The objective of this work was to further the knowledge in one aspect related to each of these four challenges and then bring each of these areas together in the discussion to understand whether proposing a decision support system for the online monitoring and operation of integrated systems would allow improvements to the current state-of-the-art.