RO Membrane to Remove Sulfate: an Inland Brackish Water Desalination Pilot Study

Qigang Chang; Brian R. Bergantine; Robert Bo Johnson; Srinivas Vasu Veerapaneni; Troy B. Hall; Mark A. Peterson; David Buchholz

doi:10.6000/1929-6037.2014.03.03.1

RO Membrane to Remove Sulfate: an Inland Brackish Water Desalination Pilot Study

Authors

Qigang Chang Advanced Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc. (AE2S), USA
Brian R. Bergantine Advanced Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc. (AE2S), USA
Robert Bo Johnson Black & Veatch, USA
Srinivas Vasu Veerapaneni Black & Veatch, USA
Troy B. Hall City of Fargo, Water Treatment Plant, Fargo, ND, USA
Mark A. Peterson City of Fargo, Water Treatment Plant, Fargo, ND, USA
David Buchholz City of Fargo, Water Treatment Plant, Fargo, ND, USA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6000/1929-6037.2014.03.03.1

Keywords:

RO membrane, sulfate, fouling, surface water, microfiltration, ultrafiltration

Abstract

The City of Fargo completed a Facility Plan of their Water Treatment Plant (WTP) in 2011 to address two main issues: increasing water demands and high sulfate concentrations within a raw water source (Sheyenne River) primarily due to Devils Lake flooding. Reverse Osmosis (RO) was recognized as the most appropriate technology for sulfate reduction, and recommended for use in the WTP expansion. An RO pilot study was performed to evaluate its feasibility for two operational scenarios. RO membranes experienced rapid fouling in the Polishing Scenario, which used RO to further treat filtered water from the existing WTP (pretreatment, lime softening, ozone, and granular filtration). RO membranes exhibited superior performance in the Parallel Scenario, which was a separate treatment process (coagulation/flocculation/sedimentation + microfiltration/ultrafiltration +RO) parallel to the existing WTP. RO membrane autopsies indicated that membrane fouling was organic and biological for the Polishing Scenario while organic and scaling for the Parallel Scenario. Optimization studies were performed in the Parallel Scenario to determine optimal coagulation conditions for pretreatment as well as flux, recovery, and membrane cleaning regimes for both the MF/UF and the RO. Uniquely, an RO membrane selection pilot was conducted for both scenarios to evaluate RO membranes from four different manufacturers. The slight difference surface chemistry among various RO membrane can cause substantial different performance. It was found that one RO membrane could not be cleaned adequately, although it has many successful applications elsewhere. This one year pilot study proved that RO technology is feasible to reduce sulfate concentrations to acceptable levels in the City’s finished water.

References

USGS. Simulation of the Effects of Devils Lake Outlet Alternatives on Future Lake Levels and Downstream Water Quality in the Sheyenne River and Red River of the North. Scientific Investigations Report 2011- 5050. 2011.

USEPA. National Primary and Secondary Drinking Water Regulations (EPA 816-F-09-004). Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. 2009

AE2S and B&V. Fargo Water Treatment Plant Facility Plan – Phase 1. 2012

AE2S, Malcolm Pirnie, and University of North Dakota. Grand Forks Water Treatment Plant Ozone and BAC Filtration Pilot Study Draft Report. 2012

Thunyalux Ratpukdi. Removal of Natural Organic Matter (NOM) by Ozone and Ultraviolet based Advanced Oxidation Processes: Development of NOM Fractionation Technique, Process Performances, and Bromated Formation, Ph.D. Dissertation. North Dakota State University. 2009.

Craig Bartles, and Rich Franks. Understanding RO Membrane Fouling at Wastewater Treatment Plants. Proceedings of the AWWA/AMTA Membrane Technology Conference, Glendale, AZ, USA. 2012.

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Published

2014-08-29

How to Cite

Chang, Q., Bergantine, B. R., Johnson, R. B., Veerapaneni, S. V., Hall, T. B., Peterson, M. A., & Buchholz, D. (2014). RO Membrane to Remove Sulfate: an Inland Brackish Water Desalination Pilot Study. Journal of Membrane and Separation Technology, 3(3), 108–118. https://doi.org/10.6000/1929-6037.2014.03.03.1

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Issue

Vol. 3 No. 3 (2014)

Section

Articles

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