AWWA MTC53891

Historically, microfiltration and ultrafiltration (MF/UF) membrane systems arepre-designed systems that are installed as a "standard unit" for small systemapplications. This is primarily an economic requirement as the unique designcharacteristics of each MF or UF system are less expensive when a standard unitcan be designed and used in all applications. As the systems get larger, moreeconomic flexibility is available to allow modifications from the standard designcriteria to take advantage of any available site-specific advantages that may beavailable. This would include existing feed pressure into the treatment system oruse of an elevated storage tank for backwash source water. Small systems have hada more difficult time taking advantage of site-specific advantages for severalreasons. Some of the issues include the cost to custom design an existingstandard membrane system design, small system engineering firms not being exposedto all the membrane filtration options available and limited funds available.These all limit the flexibility that small systems have to take advantage of anypotential site-specific conditions they may have. This does not allow the mostcost effective, operator friendly system to be installed for some applications.Membrane systems that are custom designed by knowledgeable original equipmentmanufacturers (OEMs) to fit an application are becoming available. These systemswill be designed to fit the application rather than the application designed tofit the MF/UF membrane system. This paper will present a couple case studieswhere a custom designed system by an OEM would provide economic benefits to theutility. The ability to evaluate this new option for small systems can providesignificant savings and provide long-term flexibility for some systemsconsidering MF/UF technologies. Includes figures.