Treatment of High Color, Low TDS Groundwater Using Low Rejection Polyethersulfone Nanofiltration Membranes

The Mesa Consolidated Water District’s (MCWD) Colored Water Treatment Facility (CWTF) uses ozone and GAC to treat highly colored groundwater. Due to increasing groundwater color and bromide levels, the current process at the CWTF is reaching the end of its useful life. Future color levels may be as high as 300 C.U. The purpose of the CWTF Technology Replacement and Expansion Project is to design and construct a state-of-the-art nanofiltration (NF) treatment plant for the treatment of highly colored groundwater to replace the existing treatment system. The new water treatment facility will utilize low rejection sulfonated polyethersulfone (SPES) membranes (Hydranautics HYDRACoRE). High recovery pilot testing preliminary results indicate no operational issues at a system recovery of 95% and a flux rate of 16 gfd. Color removal has been exceptional, with a reduction in color from >260 color units to less than 2-3 color units and no indication of fouling or scaling. Color removal efficiency is not influenced by flux rate or recovery.

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