Lower Fouling Rate Research Articles

Ceramic membrane technology for water and wastewater treatment: A critical review of performance, full-scale applications, membrane fouling and prospects

• Ceramic membrane (CM) market is growing with many full-scale applications. • CM is superior to polymeric membrane–high stability & flux, long life, low fouling. • Physicochemical processes (e.g., ozonation) are effective for fouling control. • Catalytic (nano) CMs can enhance antifouling, and pollutant removal capability. • Cost analysis of CMs, fouling control & cleaning should be evaluated at full-scale. Application of ceramic membrane technology in water and wastewater is rapidly growing. Inherent advantages of ceramic membrane including chemical/thermal stability, low fouling propensity and long lifespan make ceramic membrane technology attractive, and the ceramic membrane market is expected to achieve a compound annual growth rate of 12%. Ceramic membranes could be integrated with advanced oxidation processes such as in-situ ozonation that cannot be applied in the case of polymeric membrane due to their potential degradation during long-term exposure. In addition, the hybrid-ceramic membrane processes such as ceramic membrane bioreactor are superior to polymeric counterparts due to higher flux, higher pollutant removal, lower fouling rate and higher cleaning efficiency. Although ceramic membrane has high capital cost, life-cycle costs of ceramic and polymeric plants are comparable. Notably, full-scale ceramic membrane water/wastewater treatment plants have been installed in many countries such as Japan, USA, Singapore and United Kingdom. Given the attractiveness of this technology, performance of ceramic membrane is critically reviewed with a focus on their applications in water and wastewater treatment under mild conditions. In addition, fouling mechanisms and control strategies are elucidated and are compared with polymeric membranes. Importantly, for the first time, the status of full-scale applications and market prospects of ceramic membranes are critically analysed to show their future potential. Lastly, future research directions such as development of cost-effective ceramic membranes, understanding the biofouling evolution and economic evaluation of physicochemical processes for fouling control are proposed.

Investigation of critical sludge characteristics for membrane fouling in a submerged membrane bioreactor: Role of soluble microbial products and extracted extracellular polymeric substances

Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) are considered a promising tool for resource recovery in wastewater treatment. Nevertheless, membrane fouling is an inevitable phenomenon that deteriorates the MBR performance. Although many studies have attempted to elucidate the effect of sludge characteristics on MBR fouling, they posed certain limitations. Most of the previous studies focused on the initial sludge or employ the results of short-term batch tests without long-term transmembrane pressure (TMP) profiles in the interpretation of fouling behaviors. This study was conducted considering these limitations to determine the sludge characteristics most closely related to long-term TMP profiles and to identify their role in fouling behaviors. In long-term TMP profiles, critical time (tc; time to TMP jump) and fouling rates (the increase in the TMP slope) were used as fouling indexes, which were used to correlate with average values of sludge characteristics before and after experiments. According to the results, the concentration of the total soluble microbial product (SMP) and extracted extracellular polymeric substance (eEPS) in sludge significantly increased by 1.9 times and up to 28 times after experiment. The increase in the SMP and eEPS caused early TMP jumps and resulted in low-fouling rates by increasing particle size. Owing to the increase in the SMP and eEPS concentration, the origin of fouling potential was shifted from suspended solids to colloids and soluble materials. Fouling resistance caused by soluble material increased by up to 11.38 times.

Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) scouring to mitigate membrane fouling: Performance, hydrodynamic mechanism and contribution quantification model

Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) has been proven to have a low fouling potential in membrane bioreactor (MBR). Nevertheless, AGS scouring effect on mitigating membrane fouling remains poorly investigated. The main objective of this study is to examine AGS-MBR performance, to reveal the AGS scouring mechanism and quantify its contribution rate to membrane fouling mitigation, from the views of theory and experiment. Above all, AGS-MBR exhibited a low fouling rate ((transmembrane pressure (TMP) kept below 20 kPa) without membrane cleaning and a higher removal of organics and nutrients than conventional MBR during 80 days’ sludge granulation process. Then, flocculent sludge (FS) with various AGS ratios was applied to simulate the sludge granulation phase. When AGS ratio increased from 0% to 100%, the permeate flux gradually elevated from 40.0 L m−2h−1 to 92.9 L m−2h−1, and fouling resistance decreased from 9.0 × 10−12m−1 to 3.9 × 10−12m−1 benefiting from the loose structure and high porosity of AGS fouling layer. Meanwhile, the scouring effect produced by AGS on the membrane fouling mitigation was investigated. Based on the momentum conservation, a new hydrodynamic model was developed to explain the scouring mechanism of AGS. The scouring stress, proportional to the total amount of AGS depositing on the membrane surface, effectively reinforced the collision between AGS and FS, and reduced their deposition on the membrane surface by friction with the membrane; thus it was further conducive to membrane fouling mitigation. Moreover, a novel contribution quantification model was proposed for analyzing the contribution rate of AGS scouring effect to mitigate membrane fouling. AGS scouring possessed a significant contribution rate (39.9%) for fouling mitigation, compared with AGS structure (50.3%) and hydraulic stress (9.7%). In final, this study provides an in-depth understanding to mitigate the MBR membrane fouling by the unique advantages of sludge granulation.

Porous shell quorum quenching balls for enhanced anti-biofouling efficacy and media durability in membrane bioreactors

Microbial quorum quenching (QQ) has been recognized as an effective anti-biofouling strategy for membrane bioreactors (MBRs), but long-term hydrogel QQ media durability is uncertain. In this study, we propose a new media design to enhance anti-biofouling efficacy and mechanical media stability. Mobile porous hard-shell balls to hold QQ sheets (named QQ balls) were found to be superior in QQ stability to both fixed and freely moving QQ sheets. Fouling mitigation by QQ balls was significant even at the lowest aeration intensity tested (51 s−1), in contrast to other QQ media. QQ balls saved substantive energy (~50%) at similar or lower fouling rates (2.8–3.2 kPa/d) compared to the others tested at the higher aeration intensity (72 s−1). QQ balls maintained their initial high level of QQ activity (~3.0 h−1) during long-term use (greater than160 d), whereas other types of QQ media did not (<1.3 h−1). The mechanical strength of free QQ media significantly deteriorated over time (~87–100% losses after 160-d use), but QQ balls prevented the active media from such damage. QQ media had no impacts on treatment efficiencies. A QQ media structure comprising a hard porous shell and inner active media encapsulating QQ bacteria is a promising QQ media architecture for sustainable MBR applications.

Evaluating the effect of hydraulic retention time on fouling development and biomass characteristics in an algal membrane photobioreactor treating a secondary wastewater effluent

Coupling algal biomass growth to wastewater treatment is a promising alternative for the simultaneous removal and recovery of nutrients. This study aims to evaluate the effects of the Hydraulic Retention Time (HRT) on the fouling behavior and biomass characteristics of C. Vulgaris in a Membrane Photobioreactor (MPBR), fed with a secondary synthetic wastewater effluent. The changes in the algal cell characteristics and in their metabolic products were assessed at three different HRTs (12 h, 24 h and 36 h). Experimental results showed that higher loading rates led to a broader Particle Size Distribution (PSD) resulting from looser and less stable algal flocs. In contrast, bigger and homogeneously distributed particles observed at lower loading rates, led to a porous layer with lower fouling rates and organic removal. The presence of smaller particles and dissolved organics resulted in a more compact and less porous layer that increased the removal of small-MW organics.

Developed Method for Treatment of Industrial Wastewater from Edible Oil Industry using Membrane Technology

Microorganisms and algae growth on surface water are stimulated in surface water in the presence of effluent wastewater from edible oil industries. This leads to depletion of dissolved oxygen (DO) by eutrophication process result in negative impact on aquatic environment. The new regulation in environment agency and increasing market demand are forcing the industrial sectors to consider finding new solutions and sustainable techniques of the wastewater treatment. In this study, reverse osmosis (RO) membrane filtration has been applied to assess the removal performance of emulsified oil from wastewater. Polysorbate 20 (Tween 20) was used as an oil/water emulsifier. Effect of oil concentrations in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and activated carbon unit on removal efficiency and permeate flux have been studied in details. The results elucidated significant improvement in removal efficiency reached to "98%". The obtained results show promising application of RO membrane (polyamide membrane) at flux "17 L/m2 hr-1". The experiments showed that membrane filtration of wastewater from edible oil is a convenient technique for a possible removal of high concentration of oil (up to 6000 mg/L) with "98%" removal efficiency at permeate flux "17 L/m2 hr-1 "and low fouling rate.

Membrane fouling mitigation for enhanced water flux and high separation of humic acid and copper ion using hydrophilic polyurethane modified cellulose acetate ultrafiltration membranes

The presence of both copper ion (Cu (II)) from industry and humic acid (HA) in natural waters may generate Cu (II)–HA complex, which is a non-biodegradable and toxic organic pollutant in the water. Removal of such toxic substance is of great importance and environmental significance. Although membrane technology provides a solution for the removal via the filtration, fouling still presents a major challenge for the effective separation. In this study, polyurethanes endcapped with β-cyclodextrin and lactic acid were synthesized and used as additives to be blended with cellulose acetate membranes, which possessed enhanced hydrophilicity, permeability and antifouling property for the removal of Cu (II) and HA. As an example, the polyurethane endcapped with lactic acid (LPU-CA) membrane exhibited high pure water flux (PWF) of 648 L m−2 h−1, as well as high flux recovery ratios (FRRs) of 97.8% and 92% and low irreversible fouling rate (Fir) of 2.2% and 7.8% for the ultrafiltration (UF) of HA and Cu (II)–HA complex, respectively, showing excellent anti-fouling performance. In addition, the Cu (II) and HA rejection was greatly enhanced by the HA enhanced complexation process. These results indicated that the polyurethanes modified cellulose acetate membrane provided enhanced separation with good antifouling property, which can be potentially used for the cleaning of the toxic metal-organic pollutants in wastewaters.

Preparation and characterization of cellulose acetate membranes with TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils containing alkyl ammonium carboxylates

Cellulose acetate (CA) membranes have been widely used for water purification owing to several advantages, e.g., biocompatibility and low fouling rate. However, they suffer from a lower water flux compared to the other polymeric membranes. Therefore, in this study, CA membranes were blended with 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-oxyl (TEMPO)-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils (T-CNFs) containing quaternary alkyl ammonium (QA) carboxylates to improve their water flux. When increasing the alkyl chain length of the QAs, the positron lifetime and intensity of the CA membranes increased and decreased respectively, as revealed via positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy. This indicated that the CA membranes had larger and fewer pores when using the T-CNFs containing QAs with longer alkyl chains. The pure water flux of these membranes also increased with the alkyl chain lengths of QAs although their rejection rate (Rj) decreased accordingly. However, they revealed a potentiality to be used as ultrafiltration membranes, allowing a 99% Rj for albumin. The tensile strength, strain to failure, and work of fracture of the CA membranes increased when blended with T-CNFs. Force measurements using the AFM colloidal probe technique showed that the adhesion between the membrane constituents depends on their surface chemistry. This indicated that the structural differences observed among the blended membranes may be due to the affinity between CA and T-CNF containing QAs with different alkyl chain lengths. This study demonstrates that the properties of CA membranes can be tailored by the addition of T-CNFs with different surface chemistries.

“Nonstick” Membranes Prepared by Facile Surface Fluorination for Water Purification

Polymeric membranes for water purification are faced with fouling by the aggregation of contaminants on the surface, decreasing water permeance. Herein, we demonstrate facile fluorination of ultrafiltration (UF) membranes by directly coating a “nonstick” amorphous perfluoropolymer of Teflon AF1600, achieving optimally low surface energy with excellent antifouling properties, while retaining surface pore structures and thus high water permeance. At the Teflon AF1600 concentration of 200 ppm, the derived fluorinated layer has a thickness less than 5 nm and shows an unexpected surface energy of 24 mN/m, very close to that with the minimal biological fouling on the Baier’s curve. When challenged with 0.5 g/L bovine serum albumin solution in a constant-flux crossflow system, the fluorinated polyacrylonitrile (PAN) UF membrane showed a 54% lower fouling rate than the pristine one at a water flux of 60 L/(m2 h). This approach enables flexible control of the degree of fluorination and surface energy and can be easily implemented in current membrane manufacturing processes.

Biopolymer extracted from Moringa oleifera Lam. in conjunction with graphene oxide to modify membrane surfaces

ABSTRACT A novel modification through pressurized filtration technique of commercial polyethersulfone membranes was proposed using a biopolymer extracted from Moringa oleifera Lam. (MO) along with graphene oxide (GO), in order to decrease fouling and improve the membrane selectivity for the removal of methylene blue dye. The effect of these agents over the morphology and performance of the membranes were studied through the evaluation of permeability, dye removal and fouling parameters. The characterization of the membrane indicates a significant decrease in pore size, as confirmed by the filtration experiments. Also, according to FTIR and SEM analysis the modification was effectively accomplished. All modified membranes presented low fouling rates (<10.55%) and high dye removal rates (from 2.85% to 96.73%). Furthermore, it is the first time that MO has been used as a natural polymer to improve and confer new characteristics on membranes, creating new possibilities for further study of this promising environment-friendly biopolymer in membrane separation processes.

Characterization of the Evolution of Crystallization Fouling in Membranes.

Liquid-to-air membrane energy exchangers (LAMEEs) are promising in heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning applications because they are able to use semipermeable membranes to transfer heat and moisture between air and liquid desiccant streams. However, the development of crystallization fouling in membranes may pose a great risk to the long-term performance of LAMEEs. The main aim of this paper is to characterize the evolution of crystallization fouling in membranes through the use of both noninvasive and invasive methods. Noninvasive methods are used to study the development of fouling in the LAMEE by monitoring the changes in moisture flux through the membrane and overall moisture-transfer resistance of the LAMEE. On the other hand, invasive methods are implemented to characterize fouled membranes by using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to depict the morphology of crystal deposits and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) to identify the composition of the deposits. Experiments are performed by using air to dehydrate MgCl2(aq) at two operating conditions of low and high fouling rates. The results show that the moisture flux decreases and the moisture-transfer resistance increases more considerably during the test at the high fouling rate than in the test at the low fouling rate. SEM micrographs show that cake crystal deposits cover the membrane surface in the test at the high fouling rate, whereas only few crystal particles are observed on the membrane in the test at the low fouling rate. Furthermore, the crystal deposits undergo more structural changes in the tests at the high fouling rate than in the tests at the low fouling rate, possibly because of the higher moisture transfer rate through the membrane in the tests at the high fouling rate. Finally, the SEM–EDX analysis confirms that the crystal deposits primarily consist of Mg, Cl, and O elements.

Enhancement of Organic Matter Removal in an Integrated Biofilm-Membrane Bioreactor Treating High-Salinity Wastewater.

High salinity can strongly inhibit microbial activity and decrease the sedimentation ability of activated sludge. The combination of biofilm and membrane bioreactor is a practical approach towards effective removal of pollutants and low fouling rate. An integrated biofilm-membrane bioreactor (BMBR) treating mustard tuber wastewater was investigated. An average COD removal efficiency of 94.81% and ammonium removal efficiency of 96.84% were achieved at an organic load of 0.5 kg COD/(m3·d). However, the reactor showed a relatively low efficiency in total nitrogen and soluble phosphorus removal due to the lack of anaerobic environment. The increase of influent organic load resulted in a performance degradation because a balance between the degradation ability and pollution has been reached. Images of scanning electron microscopy revealed that halophilic bacteria were the dominant microbe in the system that leads to a loose sludge structure and declined settling properties. It was found that membrane fouling was the consequence of the interaction of microbial activities and NaCl crystallization.

Brine heat recovery unit for Multi Effect Desalination (MED) system based on Scheffler Concentrator using shell and coil heat exchanger

Three stage standalone solar thermal Multi Effect Desalination (MED) pilot plant for remote and arid rural regions of Sultanate of Oman using fixed focus type Scheffler concentrator producing 100 litres per day has been set up at author’s institute. Preliminary tests carried out on this plant yielded lower outputs of 60-65 litres per day. Heat loss through high temperature brine discharged at 85°C was observed as one of the reasons for lower yield. Literature reviewed and analysis shown that desalination outputs can be increased with increased feed water inlet temperature. To recover this heat and preheat the feed water supplied, brine heat recovery unit using counter flow type shell and coil heat exchanger has been proposed in this paper. Helically coiled heat exchanger has been selected for its compactness, higher heat transfer area per unit volume, higher inside heat transfer coefficient and lower fouling rates due to induced turbulence. The operating parameters of this heat exchanger will handle hot brine at 80-85°C and 1 bar pressure. In the present work, heat load, number of turns, coil length and pressure drop calculations are done for estimating the theoretical values based on heat transfer & fluid mechanics principles using numerical correlations from the literature reviewed. The steady state analysis has shown that that coil pitch, inside tube diameter, mass flow rate through the coil and shell affects the heat transfer rates. Practical dimensional constraints have been taken into consideration while finalising the dimensions of the heat exchanger. Overall effectiveness of 84.6% has been calculated for the proposed heat exchanger.

Identification of gas sparging regimes for granular anaerobic membrane bioreactor to enable energy neutral municipal wastewater treatment

In this study, conventional and novel gas sparging regimes have been evaluated for a municipal wastewater granular anaerobic MBR to identify how best to achieve high sustainable fluxes whilst simultaneously conserving energy demand. Using continuous gas sparging in combination with continuous filtration, flux was strongly dependent upon shear rate, which imposed a considerable energy demand. Intermittent gas sparging was subsequently evaluated to reduce energy demand whilst delivering an analogous shear rate. For a flux of 5 L m−2 h−1, a fouling rate below 1 mbar h−1 was sustained with low gas sparging frequency and gas sparging rates. However, to sustain low fouling rates for fluxes above 10 L m−2 h−1, a gas sparging frequency of 50% (i.e. 10 s on/10 s off) and an increase in gas sparging rate is needed, indicating the importance of shear rate and gas sparging frequency. An alternative gas sparging regime was subsequently tested in which filtration was conducted without gas sparging, followed by membrane relaxation for a short period coupled with gas sparging, to create a pseudo dead-end filtration cycle. Fouling characterisation evidenced considerable cake fouling rates of 200–250 mbar h−1 within each filtration cycle. However, long term fouling transient analysis demonstrated low residual fouling resistance, suggesting the cake formed during filtration was almost completely reversible, despite operating at a flux of 15 L m−2 h−1, which was equivalent or higher than the critical flux of the suspension. It is therefore asserted that by operating filtration in the absence of shear, fouling is less dependent upon the preferential migration of the sub-micron particle fraction and is instead governed by the compressibility of the heterogeneous cake formed, which enables higher operational fluxes to be achieved. Comparison of energy demand for the three gas sparging regimes to the energy recovered from municipal wastewater AnMBR demonstrated that only by using dead-end filtration can energy neutral wastewater treatment be realised which is the ultimate ambition for the technology.

Assessing the performance and microbial community of hybrid moving bed and conventional membrane bioreactors treating municipal wastewater

ABSTRACTA conventional (SB-CMBR) and a hybrid moving-bed (SB-HMBR) sequencing batch membrane bioreactor treating municipal wastewater were compared during their start-up in terms of organic matter and nutrient removal, membrane fouling characteristics and microbial community. Both systems exhibited similar COD, ammonium, total nitrogen (TN) and phosphorus removal efficiency, amounting up to 96%, 99%, 70% and 85%, respectively. Results from cycle tests revealed that the contribution of attached biomass to the overall ammonium removal in the hybrid reactor was marginal. Moreover, higher despite the similar phosphorus removal efficiency attained in both reactors, nitrate-dosing activity batch assays specifically revealed that the anoxic phosphate uptake rate (PUR) in the SB-HMBR was 1.71 times higher than in the SB-CMBR. Moreover, a higher frequency of Candidatus Accumulibacter-related polyphosphate-accumulating organisms was observed in the biofilm carriers of the hybrid reactor. These findings may explain why the overall PUR was almost 50% higher in the SB-HMBR. By operating the reactors in sequencing batch mode, adhesion of particles on the membrane surface was reduced while fouling was mitigated as compared to continuous MBR systems. Better filterability conditions with lower fouling rate were found in the SB-HMBR, important features of the hybrid reactor for reducing membrane cleaning-related energy demand.

Experimental Evaluation of a Novel Backflush Controller for Immersed Membrane Systems

Membrane backflush with air or permeate is commonly employed to reduce fouling in immersed micro– and ultrafiltration (MF/UF). Membrane plants traditionally rely on simple timer control automation to initiate periodic backflushes for membrane cleaning. In this study, a closed–loop (feedback) type backflush controller was evaluated experimentally with a bench–scale hollow fibre immersed MF/UF membrane – flocculation hybrid system.The controller showed an unexpected behaviour at low fouling rates, which was manifested in significantly varying filtration periods. The investigation identified the cause in the use of a constant stabilisation lag parameter.The role of this control parameter was to determine the reversible component of fouling in real–time, which is a difficult problem in transient flow conditions that characterise the start of filtration periods. The resulting error became significant at low fouling rates and impaired effective control.Based on this insight, we propose alternative, more robust control parameters, which can provide improved backwash control solutions for MF/UF membrane applications.

Mechanism analysis of powdered activated carbon controlling microfiltration membrane fouling in surface water treatment

The mechanism of powdered activated carbon (PAC) mitigating microfiltration (MF) membrane fouling for surface water treatment was investigated via blocking models, resin adsorption fractionation, high performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) with peak-fitting, and interaction free energy theory. The results identified cake formation as the major mechanism of membrane fouling. Also, PAC pre-treated water showed a relatively lower fouling rate than untreated raw water and PAC had a positive effect on improving membrane flux on account of the enhanced removal of neutral hydrophilic compounds (NEU) and strongly hydrophobic acids (SHA) (based on fractionation), and building blocks and low molecular weight acids (BB&LMW-A) (based on HPSEC). Analysis of the interfacial energy between membrane and foulants via the extended Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek (XDLVO) theory found that AB interaction energy played a dominating role in the components of interaction free energies during MF process. PAC, by decreasing AB interaction energy, could thus control membrane fouling.

Evaporator Fouling Tendencies of Thin Stillage and Concentrates From the Dry Grind Process

ABSTRACTIn the United States, more than 200 maize processing plants use multiple-effect evaporators to remove water from thin stillage and steepwater during dry grind and wet milling processes, respectively. During the dry grind process, unfermentables are centrifuged and the liquid fraction, thin stillage, is concentrated in multiple effect evaporators. Evaporator fouling occurs during thin stillage concentration and may be from deposition of proteins, fat, fiber, and/or carbohydrates on evaporator surfaces. Studies on evaporator fouling from maize processing streams are limited and fundamental causes are not well understood. Therefore, the overall objective was to investigate effects of compositional variation on evaporator fouling during thin stillage concentration. Effects of total solids during evaporator concentration, removal of post fermentation oil, corn oil and glycerol addition, and overall plant operation were studied. Thin stillage had lower fouling rates compared to evaporator concentrates. Addition of postfermentation corn oil (0.5 to 1.0% added) increased thin stillage fouling rates, but at higher oil concentration (1.5% added), rates decreased. At 10% solids content in evaporator concentrates, oil recovery had no influence on fouling rates. Glycerol addition (1%) to thin stillage increased fouling rates. Simultaneous plant shutdown and evaporator cleaning decreased subsequent fouling rates.

Design and Construction of a Spiral Heat Exchanger

In this article, the performance and applications of a Spiral Plate Heat Exchanger are demonstrated. Also, governing equation of heat transfer phenomena in such heat exchangers is discussed. Regarding the governing equations, a LAB-sized model of this type of heat exchanger was designed and constructed. Galvanized Iron sheets were used as the heat transfer surfaces. Two Galvanized Iron sheets were rolled together around a central core and, as a result, two separated channels were made. Also, a predesign simulation of the heat exchanger was done using the Fluent software to predict the performance of the heat exchanger. First the geometry was made using Gambit software environment then the model was analyzed through Fluent. Because of less fouling, easier cleaning and high heat transfer coefficient, Spiral Heat Exchanger is a good alternative to the other types of heat exchangers, especially when it’s going to handle high fouling flows or highly viscous fluids. Low fouling rate of the heat exchanger, reduces the need of cleaning and therefore the out of service will be decreased. In the constructed heat exchanger, Nusselt number increases as the mass flow rate increases. Average Nusselt number is about 100 that is very good.

Subsurface intake systems: Green choice for improving feed water quality at SWRO desalination plants, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

An investigation of three seawater reverse osmosis facilities located along the shoreline of the Red Sea of Saudi Arabia that use well intake systems showed that the pumping-induced flow of raw seawater through a coastal aquifer significantly improves feed water quality. A comparison between the surface seawater and the discharge from the wells shows that turbidity, algae, bacteria, total organic carbon, most fractions of natural organic matter (NOM), and particulate and colloidal transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) have significant reductions in concentration. Nearly all of the algae, up to 99% of the bacteria, between 84 and 100% of the biopolymer fraction of NOM, and a high percentage of the TEP were removed during transport. The data suggest that the flowpath length and hydraulic retention time in the aquifer play the most important roles in removal of the organic matter. Since the collective concentrations of bacteria, biopolymers, and TEP in the intake seawater play important roles in the biofouling of SWRO membranes, the observed reductions suggest that the desalination facilities that use well intakes systems will have a potentially lower fouling rate compared to open-ocean intake systems. Furthermore, well intake system intakes also reduce the need for chemical usage during complex pretreatment systems required for operation of SWRO facilities using open-ocean intakes and reduce environmental impacts.