Patent ID: 6878285

Claim:
A process for treating a fluid stream containing soluble and insoluble inorganic and organic chemical contaminants, microbiological contaminants, or combinations thereof to reduce the concentration of these contaminants comprising: passing the fluid stream into contact with a high pressure side of a treatment module containing a composite material to reduce both soluble and insoluble contaminants and to convert soluble contaminants into other forms present therein, and to recover from the low pressure side of the treatment module a treated stream; and passing the fluid stream from the low pressure side of the treatment module into contact with a high pressure side of an ion exchange module containing ion exchange material to remove additional insoluble and soluble chemical and microbiological contaminants present therein, and to recover from the low pressure side a treated ion exchange stream, wherein the treatment module is a pretreatment module and the fluid stream passes through the pretreatment module and is then passed through the ion exchange module and further comprising a post-treatment module wherein the treated ion exchange stream is passed into contact with a high pressure side of the post-treatment module to reduce soluble contaminants which pass through the ion exchange module, and to recover from the low pressure side of the post-treatment module a post-treatment stream which may be used and wherein a portion of said post-treatment stream is recycled to the high pressure side of either the pre-treatment module or the ion exchange module.