Optimization of membrane technologies for drinking water treatment

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Ultrafiltration membranes (i.e. membranes), are becoming the technology of choice for drinking water treatment applications. This is largely due to the fact that membranes, when compared to conventional sand filtration systems, can more effectively and consistently remove particulate contaminants, such as microbial pathogens. However, during filtration, material can accumulate and foul the membrane, increasing the resistance to the permeating flow. The strategies currently used to overcome excessive fouling increase the capital and operating costs of membrane systems above those for conventional sand filtration systems; as a result, the ability of water providers to implement 'advanced' water treatment technologies is limited. Also, membrane, like other filtration systems, cannot effectively remove soluble contaminants, such as some disinfection by-products and emerging contaminants (e.g. endocrine disrupting and pharmaceutically active compounds), without some form of pre-treatment.