Case History – Town of Jupiter Blending NF Concentrate with Reuse Water

Reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) membrane processes represent superior treatment technologies as they effectively reject unwanted contaminants producing high quality permeate, which is capable of meeting increasingly stringent drinking water regulations. For this reason, municipal drinking water purveyors are integrating membrane technologies into their treatment portfolio often replacing aging, conventional processes. A major concern with the use of RO and NF is the generation of a by-product stream called concentrate. Disposal of membrane concentrate is highly regulated by multiple Federal and State agencies, and can often be one of the most challenging and costly components in the design, permitting and construction of a membrane process. In 2004, the Town of Jupiter Utilities (Town) began planning for the replacement of its aging lime softening process, which included pilot testing and design of a 14.5 MGD NF Water Facility. Pilot testing demonstrated the feasibility of the membrane process, however, the Town had to address the need for disposal of the produced concentrate. The proposed facility would treat the Town?s fresh, groundwater supply, and produced concentrate would have lower TDS concentrations than what is typically seen with RO applications. Thus, it was proposed that the NF concentrate could be disposed by blending with treated effluent from the nearby wastewater treatment plant, and beneficially reused as reclaimed water. This innovative approach would increase reuse supplies for landscape irrigation and alleviate the need for additional groundwater resources often used to meet irrigation demand. This presentation will provide an overview of the Town?s NF facility, which was completed in 2010, describe the regulatory hurdles that were addressed to successfully permit the concept, as well as the construction and costs associated with this unique concentrate disposal option.

This presentation is available to AMTA Members only.