Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Reverse Osmosis Pretreatment

RO sits at the heart of virtually every modern makeup water treatment system at combined cycle plants. Advanced membranes remove more than 99 percent of dissolved ions from the makeup, which is what allows downstream ion exchange polishers to be sized so much smaller. But that entire design premise depends on the membranes staying healthy. Without proper pretreatment, RO elements collect particulates, accumulate mineral scale and serve as a substrate for microbiological fouling. All three degrade performance, and the damage can be irreversible. 

This session examines modern techniques for protecting RO membranes and keeping the makeup system reliable: micro- or ultrafiltration for upstream particulate removal, antiscalant feed to control mineral deposition, and where conditions warrant, non-oxidizing biocide feed to prevent biofouling.