Pilot-scale testing of reverse osmosis using conventional treatment and microfiltration

In order to meet the growing needs of its consumers, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is looking for ways to desalt water from the relatively hard Colorado River. This study evaluated conventional treatment as the pretreatment step for reverse osmosis (RO) desalting. Other pretreatment options studied include microfiltration (MF) and conventional treatment with ozone and biologically active filters. Each of three pretreatment scenarios produced effluent waters generally considered appropriate for use with RO [median turbidity of less than 0.1 Nephelometric turbidity unit (NTU) and median silt density index of less than 3]. Both microfiltered and ozonated/biofiltered waters gave steady RO performance over 3 months of testing. However, conventional treatment left the RO system vulnerable to organic and biological fouling. Despite maintaining a 2-2.5 mg/L chloramine residual, pretreatment using conventional treatment required more frequent cleanings than either MF or ozonation/biofiltration (O-3/BF). The good performance for biofiltered water may have resulted from the stabilization of the natural organic matter through the O-3/BF process. Microfiltration, with its superior particle and bacteriological removal characteristics, provided the best RO pretreatment technology.