Challenge

The incoming water supply used by a New England company contained chlorine which adversely affected the plant’s two existing reverse osmosis (RO) systems. While the company had previously purchased the RO systems for increased water purity, plant personnel were not aware of the need to remove the chlorine from the incoming feed water. Plant personnel were challenged with: 

• Deteriorating water quality
• Chlorine breaking down the RO membranes
• Replacing costly RO membranes

Plant personnel needed a dependable solution that would quickly maximize production and protect the existing RO systems.

Solution

We provided two carbon filters to remove the chlorine in the feed water. With any detectable levels of chlorine having a detrimental effect upon the life of RO membranes, the carbon filters protect downstream equipment and ensure long-term dependable operation where:

• Consistent water quality
• No oxidative attack occurs
• Extended membrane lifespan

For this installation, the filtration bed consists of premium grade activated carbon that was specially selected for its capacity to remove chlorine. In other applications, the carbon will be specially selected based upon the contaminants that need to be removed, such as chloramines, organics, color, etc.

Results

Many plant managers throughout the world struggle with chlorine in the feed water coming into their facilities. By using the carbon filters, these contaminants are removed or reduced which protect the RO membranes. Carbon filters prior to reverse osmosis systems ensure:

• Maximum performance
• Consistent quality and quantity of water
• Minimal unscheduled downtime
• Protection of RO membranes from fouling and oxidative attack