The Oxnard advanced water purification facility: combining indirect potable reuse with reverse osmosis concentrate beneficial use to ensure a California community's water sustainability and provide coastal wetlands restoration

The City of Oxnard in California is implementing a strategic water resources program known as the Groundwater Recovery Enhancement and Treatment (GREAT) program, which includes an Advanced Water Purification Facility (AWPF) that will use a major portion of the secondary effluent from the City's existing Water Pollution Control Facility to produce high-quality treated water to be used for irrigation of edible food crops, landscape irrigation, injection into the groundwater basin to form a barrier to seawater intrusion, and other industrial uses. The AWPF, currently under design by CH2M HILL, will employ a multiple-barrier treatment train consisting of microfiltration, reverse osmosis, and ultravioletlightbased advanced oxidation processes to purify the secondary effluent to conform to California Department of Public Health Title 22 Recycled Water Criteria for groundwater recharge. The AWPF, which will have initial and build-out capacities of ca. 24,000 and ca 95,000 m3/day, respectively, was limited to a 1.8-hectare site, with 0.4 hectares dedicated to a Visitor's Center and administration building. Further, the depth below grade and height of the AWPF's structures were constrained because of the high groundwater table at the site, the high cost of excavation and dewatering, and local codes. To accommodate these various restrictions, an innovative design approach has been developed. This paper summarizes the design constraints and innovative solutions for the design of the AWPF.

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Using a membrane bioreactor/reverse osmosis system for indirect potable reuse

Water Science & Technology Water Supply ◽

10.2166/ws.2001.0127 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 1 (5-6) ◽

pp. 303-313 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

J. Lozier ◽

A. Fernandez

Keyword(s):

Drinking Water ◽

Reverse Osmosis ◽

Membrane Fouling ◽

Membrane Bioreactor ◽

Municipal Wastewater ◽

Secondary Effluent ◽

Potable Reuse ◽

High Calcium ◽

Indirect Potable Reuse ◽

The City

The City of McAllen, Texas, with the assistance of CH2M HILL, has pilot tested an integrated membrane bioreactor (MBR)/reverse osmosis (RO) treatment train to reclaim municipal wastewater to a quality suitable for use as a new drinking water supply in the process called indirect potable reuse. Previous testing by the City (Phase 1) demonstrated the applicability and cost of microfiltration (Memcor and ZeeWeed systems) to enhance the quality of secondary effluent for subsequent treatment by RO and the feasibility of a membrane bioreactor system (ZenoGem) to produce RO feedwater directly from minimally processed sewage. Phase 2 testing, reported on in this paper, is designed to demonstrate reliable operation of MBR/RO treatment for processing screened, degritted sewage and that the effluent from such a train can meet all federal primary and State secondary drinking water regulations and comply with anticipated State requirements for indirect potable reuse. Results show the ZenoGem process to be reliable, require minimal operator attention and maintenance, produce an effluent that can be processed by RO with little fouling and that easily exceeds the City's current effluent discharge requirements relative to BOD, TSS and ammonia. The ZenoGem permeate quality exceeds RO feedwater criteria for turbidity and silt density index and RO system performance confirms minimal membrane fouling by particles. However, the high calcium hardness and phosphate levels in the City's wastewater (and ZenoGem permeate) caused mineral precipitation within the RO system when operated at higher recoveries. Precipitation can be controlled, however, by increased acidification of the RO feedwater.

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Operational optimization of closed-circuit reverse osmosis (CCRO) pilot to recover concentrate at an advanced water purification facility for potable reuse

Desalination ◽

10.1016/j.desal.2021.115300 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 518 ◽

pp. 115300

Author(s):

Han Gu ◽

Megan H. Plumlee ◽

Michael Boyd ◽

Michael Hwang ◽

James C. Lozier

Keyword(s):

Reverse Osmosis ◽

Water Purification ◽

Closed Circuit ◽

Potable Reuse ◽

Operational Optimization

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Two approaches to indirect potable reuse using membrane technology

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2000.0629 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 41 (10-11) ◽

pp. 149-156 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

J. Lozier

Keyword(s):

Membrane Bioreactor ◽

Wastewater Effluent ◽

Secondary Effluent ◽

Potable Reuse ◽

Wwtp Effluent ◽

Indirect Potable Reuse ◽

Effluent Discharge ◽

The City ◽

Raw Wastewater ◽

Bioreactor Process

A pilot study was conducted at McAllen, Texas to evaluate two microfiltration technologies, Memcor and ZeeWeed, to treat secondary effluent from the city of McAllen south WWTP. The objectives of the study were to compare the ability of Memcor and ZeeWeed to pretreat secondary effluent for subsequent processing by RO and to evaluate the ability of the ZenoGem membrane bioreactor process to directly treat screened, de-gritted wastewater to a quality suitable for direct processing by RO. The results showed both Memcor and ZeeWeed to be competitive in their ability to produce a high quality filtrate from secondary effluent. The results also indicated that the ZenoGem process is capable of producing a filtrate suitable for RO treatment while meeting the City's current wastewater effluent discharge requirements. Additionally, the ZenoGem treated McAllen's raw wastewater to a quality comparable to the city's existing WWTP effluent.

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Screening health risk assessment of micropullutants for indirect potable reuse schemes: a three-tiered approach.

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2007.831 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 56 (11) ◽

pp. 35-42 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

C. Rodriguez ◽

A. Cook ◽

P. Van Buynder ◽

B. Devine ◽

P. Weinstein

Keyword(s):

Reverse Osmosis ◽

Health Risks ◽

Organic Contaminants ◽

Recycled Water ◽

Treatment Technology ◽

Potential Health ◽

Trace Organic Contaminants ◽

Potable Reuse ◽

Tiered Approach ◽

Indirect Potable Reuse

Indirect potable reuse schemes are an important consideration in the sustainable management of scarce water resources. However, communities still hold real concerns about the potential health risks of micropullutants in recycled water entering their potable water supply. Microfiltration or ultrafiltration followed by reverse osmosis is currently the standard treatment technology for potable use of recycled water. Nevertheless, membranes are not 100% efficient in the removal of trace organic contaminants and the potential health risks of these micropullutants need to be assessed. The aim of this paper is to present a three-tiered approach for the preliminary assessment of micropullutants in recycled water. A risk quotient is calculated by comparing measured concentrations against benchmark values. Tier 1 corresponds to regulated chemicals; the maximum contaminant level in drinking water is used as benchmark value. Tier 2 corresponds to unregulated chemicals with toxicity information; slope factors or risk specific doses are used to calculate benchmark values. Tier 3 corresponds to unregulated chemicals without toxicity information. The “Threshold of Toxicological Concern” concept is used to calculate benchmark values. The characterization of chemicals of concern following reverse osmosis in a water reclamation plant and the application of the three-tiered approach for the evaluation of the potential health risks is presented.

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Innovative Potable Water Purification without RO - Direct Potable Reuse Demonstration Pilot in Central Florida

Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation ◽

10.2175/193864717822152455 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 (12) ◽

pp. 2340-2347 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

P.S Kumar ◽

A Salveson ◽

D.K Ammerman ◽

E Steinle-Darling ◽

J.A Jackson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Purification ◽

Potable Water ◽

Potable Reuse ◽

Central Florida ◽

Direct Potable Reuse

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One-step reverse osmosis based on riverbank filtration for future drinking water purification

Engineering ◽

10.1016/j.eng.2021.02.015 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yujia Zhai ◽

Gang Liu ◽

Walter G.J. van der Meer

Keyword(s):

Drinking Water ◽

Reverse Osmosis ◽

Water Purification ◽

Riverbank Filtration ◽

One Step ◽

Drinking Water Purification

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Assessing the Occurrence of Waterborne Viruses in Reuse Systems: Analytical Limits and Needs

Pathogens ◽

10.3390/pathogens8030107 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 107 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Charles P. Gerba ◽

Walter Q. Betancourt

Keyword(s):

Cell Culture ◽

Virus Detection ◽

Enteric Viruses ◽

Enteric Virus ◽

Culture Cell ◽

Virus Infectivity ◽

Recycled Water ◽

Chemical Additives ◽

Potable Reuse ◽

Passage Number

Detection of waterborne enteric viruses is an essential tool in assessing the risk of waterborne transmission. Cell culture is considered a gold standard for detection of these viruses. However, it is important to recognize the uncertainty and limitations of enteric virus detection in cell culture. Cell culture cannot support replication of all virus types and strains, and numerous factors control the efficacy of specific virus detection assays, including chemical additives, cell culture passage number, and sequential passage of a sample in cell culture. These factors can result in a 2- to 100-fold underestimation of virus infectivity. Molecular methods reduce the time for detection of viruses and are useful for detection of those that do not produce cytopathogenic effects. The usefulness of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to access virus infectivity has been demonstrated for only a limited number of enteric viruses and is limited by an understanding of the mechanism of virus inactivation. All of these issues are important to consider when assessing waterborne infectious viruses and expected goals on virus reductions needed for recycled water. The use of safety factors to account for this may be useful to ensure that the risks in drinking water and recycled water for potable reuse are minimized.

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