Potable reuse of wastewater effluent through an integrated soil aquifer treatment (SAT) - membrane system

Abstract

Soil aquifer treatment (SAT) has been shown to provide significant reductions of wastewater effluent organic matter (EfOM). While SAT can renovate wastewater effluent to levels commensurate with potable reuse, SAT represents only a single treatment barrier. Membrane filtration has been demonstrated to be an alternative treatment process for wastewater reclamation. However, the performance of membrane filtration is significantly constrained by membrane fouling, reducing membrane productivity in terms of flux decline. Soil aquifer treatment (SAT) is used as a primary barrier in the reclamation system to remove a complex suite of chemical and biological contaminants in wastewater. This study of membrane filtration of SAT-source waters is intended to determine the benefits of the SAT system in terms of membrane fouling reduction with membrane filtration providing a secondary barrier. Membrane treatment of SAT-recovered water provides a multiple barrier exhibiting additional organic matter removal. Moreover, the SAT system also provides for storage of reclaimed water. The synergy between SAT and membrane treatment has led to the concept of an integrated SAT-membrane system for potable reuse.