(159a) Membrane Water Treatment - Process Design Considerations and Economics

Although two-thirds of the planet's surface is covered by water, most of this water is saline and requires some treatment before use. The growing global population, and economic growth, both drive up the demand for water. After use, there is additional need for water treatment. This is growing in importance due to both stringent discharge requirements and increasing competition for water. Water treatment processes are at the nexus of the factors described above. There is a lot of variety in the design of these processes but there are some common considerations. This presentation would focus on design considerations for membrane-based processes (e.g. ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis). One of the design considerations is economics in the form of capital and operating costs. This presentation also describes cost associated with procurement and disposal of water.