Lessons learned from design and operation of Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) Facilities

This presentation presents the progress and applications of MBRs which provides the benefit of biological treatment process in a compact footprint and solids liquid separation for a high-quality effluent. In this paper, lessons learned and challenges from design and operation of MBR plants are presented. MBRs provide the pretreatment required for other treatment technologies such as Reverse Osmosis (RO) where wastewater reuse and recycle or PFAS removal is targeted. The key design considerations for MBR include selection of membrane flux rates for cold temperature operations, influent characterization, and design of equalization basins. Some of the key operational considerations for MBR plants are nutrient balance for macro-nutrients (where nitrogen or phosphorus are limiting the biological growth) and micro-nutrients, membrane fouling mitigation, and foaming issues. Running pilot tests are recommended where possible, to obtain site-specific design criteria as well as operator training. Considerations for operator training (with or without pilot testing) and Operation and Maintenance (O&M) skills are important for the operation of MBR plants. Important considerations in the membrane specs and membrane warranty, and planning for membrane replacement are discussed

This presentation is available to AMTA Members only.