New Membrane Technology Promises Cleaner Drinking Water for All.
Surface waters are getting browner due to natural organic matter (NOM), making it harder to purify drinking water. Membranes are effective at removing particles and contaminants, with ultrafiltration (UF) and nanofiltration (NF) membranes showing promise. NF membranes removed over 90% of NOM, with biopolymers being removed the most. Coagulation/UF processes removed some contaminants but not all. A new automatic coagulant dosing system improved membrane processes. After a year of testing, the membranes remained effective at removing NOM.