Challenge:
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (Metropolitan) is embarking on a water reuse program in partnership with the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County (Sanitation Districts). The Regional Recycled Water Program would purify treated wastewater from the Sanitation Districts’ Joint Water Pollution Control Plant. A demonstration facility has been established to test an innovative purification process, gain regulatory approval for the process and obtain data needed for a full-scale program. The purification process includes membrane bioreactors, reverse osmosis, and an ultraviolet light/advanced oxidation process.
Solution:
SUEZ’s membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology, LEAPmbr, will be tested at the 0.5 mgd demonstration facility, the Regional Recycled Water Advanced Purification Center. Commonly used for wastewater treatment to produce non-potable effluent, MBR technology is particularly suited to water reuse applications as it removes pathogens, manages nitrogen, and minimizes fouling of reverse osmosis membranes. The fully scalable LEAPmbr cassettes have been installed at the demonstration facility and will be evaluated for their ability to reject pathogens from secondary treated effluent, one of the key elements of the demonstration project which will help support permitting of the full-scale potable reuse facility.
A full-scale facility could ultimately produce up to 150 million gallons per day of highly purified recycled water. The purified water could replenish groundwater basins, be used by industries, and potentially be delivered to Metropolitan’s water treatment plants and regional delivery system.