AWWA MTC53649

The main objective of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness ofnanofiltration (NF) under various solution chemistries on bacterial regrowthpotential as quantified by assimilable organic carbon (AOC) in both bench-scaleand full-scale experiments. One of the major bench-scale observations was thatAOC removals by NF membranes were strongly dependent on feed water quality. Aregression model was developed relating AOC rejection by the NF membranes in thebench-scale experiments to mass transfer coefficients (diffusion) and energygradients (electroneutrality). The bench-scale AOC rejection model was then usedto compare to a full- scale drinking water treatment plant that usednanofiltration as a treatment process. The AOC rejection model developed duringbench-scale experiments demonstrated a good predictability of the full-scaledata, and it was found to be useful to estimate general full-scale AOC rejectionswhen NF membranes are used. Therefore, both diffusion as well aselectroneutrality were found to be significant parameters in AOC rejection. Includes 22 references, tables, figures.