A Case Study in Controlling Phosphate-Induced Scaling in Potable Reuse

In potable reuse, reverse osmosis (RO) is important for system-level salinity management and as a pathogen barrier in the treatment train. Scaling is a key driver of cost for RO systems because it increases energy use and leads to more frequent cleaning and replacement of membrane elements. Phosphate-induced scaling in particular has been identified as a challenge for RO in water reuse applications, because phosphate is a common constituent in wastewater. This paper presents a case study in system-level optimization to control phosphate scaling in a potable reuse scheme.