Ultrafiltration as a nonpolluting alternative to traditional clarification in water treatment

Abstract

Experiments carried out by the Lyonnaise des Eaux within the frame of the European programmes Brite and Eureka, showed that ultrafiltration can be substituted successfully for conventional clarification without the use of chemical separation aids. Work undertaken on the optimisation of the process made it possible to scale up pilot plant experiments to full implementation of the process at several potable water production sites where the resource is characterised by transient, strong turbidity spikes. The performance of pilot and production plants is presented with special attention being paid to the production of water in accordance with ongoing regulatory trends in water quality standards and induced pollution inherent to the process.