By straining water impurities, membranes can soften, filter, and disinfect non-saline waters in a single process. They can also turn brackish groundwater and other poor-quality water sources into safe drinking water, allowing utilities to develop new water supplies from sources once thought to be worthless. Membrane developments and improvements have provided positive results over the past few years. Membranes can now operate at lower pressures, making them less expensive to operate than previously. The technology has developed so that it is applicable for virtually every kind of water.
Membranes have the flexibility to treat degraded water sources as good supplies are depleted.
They can strip out dissolved solids, organics, bacteria, Cryptogrammic and Guardia cysts, radionuclides, color, pesticides, and other contaminants to produce very high-quality water. Meeting Waterworks' Objectives CDM has completed Phases I, II and III of the four-phase brackish groundwater development project, which included concept development, feasibility studies, preliminary design, and pilot study services. Phase IV bidding and construction services will continue through October 1998, meeting Waterworks' timeline for bringing the new supply on-line. The new groundwater supply will be used in conjunction with existing and new surface water supplies as a baseline supply to meet finished water demands and avoid mandatory restrictions or water service delays. The RO process will produce treated water of high quality, which will be blended with treated surface water in the Lee Hall WTP clearwell.