Cleaning Cartridge Filters Restores Performance and Reduces Plastic Waste From 5 MGD BWRO Plant

Cartridge Filter Usage How many cartridge filters are How many BWRO plants are currently in use worldwide? there in the USA? 86 million m3/d total desal capacity 1003 40 million m3/d from SWRO (mean recovery of 45%), 46 million m3/d at average recovery of 75% Total 150 million m3/d raw water Average 40” filter can produce 100 m3/d 1.5 million cartridge filters Source: DesalData, January 2024 Cartridge filters Pleated Meltblown Spiral wound Resin bonded Identify if existing Troubleshoot Optimize System pretreatment is recurring Performance to sufficient for feed problems at avoid downtime water lower cost Option Option Option Deposits on the cartridge filters can yield strategic data about the health of the system The disposal of CF is coming into question as sites seek to lower carbon footprint Autopsy Procedure Procedure for full autopsy 1.Visual inspection 2.Optical microscopy 3.ATR-FTIR 4.SEM-EDX 5.Microbiological assessment 6.Characterization & cleaning tests Chemicals that are readily available can be employed to achieve results Potential Challenges Stubborn/persistent foulants Small financial incentive Requires operator training Might require retrofit of CIP loop Not an overnight solution – every plant will require their own procedure, which might take a few months to work out. OPEX. of membrane CIP should be okay learning how to If the lifespan of filters clean filters, it is quite can be doubled through similar. effective cleaning then significant bottom line savings are possible. Potential Solutions Requires operator Might require Small financial training retrofit of CIP loop incentives The principle of cleaning is If this is done early in the Cartridge filter relatively simple. project there is a good replacement accounts for chance that the investment ~10-15% of small BWRO Operators with experience will pay for itself. CASE STUDY: Moss Point BWRO, Mississippi 19 000 m3/d BWRO Well water feed Cartridge Filters From Site Dark gray Deposition not Deposits were coloration along present on the observed to only entire length inner tube be on outer surface 1 2 3 CASE STUDY: Moss Point, Mississippi Bag Cartrid filters ge filters Raw water To RO in Cleaning Steps If discolored, repeat Isolate Cartridge Flush filter housings backwash/soak Filter Housing using RO permeate cycle with fresh CIP Prepare Cleaning Check cleaning Solution solution color Backwash cleaning Allow filter to soak solution at low flow in CIP solution for for 20 minutes 60-80 minutes Cartridge Filter Integrity Repeated backflow and rinsing Extended chemical exposure Longer than average service life Degrading integrity Particle Count of Filters Degraded Filters did correlate to worse performance.