A pilot study on groundwater natural organics removal by low-pressure membranes

A 1-year membrane pilot study evaluated disinfection-byproduct (DBP) precursors and color removal by low-pressure membranes from groundwater with color values up to 200 color units for the Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD) Dyer Road Well Field in Southern California. The study results suggest that modified high-flux type nanofiltration (NF) membranes performed better than traditional softening NF membranes for this application. The advantages of the high-flux NF membranes include superior color and DBP precursor removal, reduced inorganic fouling potential, less corrosive permeates, and good performance recovery after membrane cleanings.