Harn R/O Systems Blog

Pretreatment: The Last Line of Defense for Your R/O Membranes

Posted by Julie Nemeth-Harn on May 10, 2021 9:00:00 AM

Some raw feed waters contain suspended particulate material. This material is commonly sand, iron oxides, clay or elemental sulfur. Introduction of such materials into the membrane system can cause the development of excessive system differential pressure (dP), or even complete blockage of the brine channels with the resultant reduction of permeate flow. It can also cause physical damage to the membranes themselves. This usually results in a decrease of permeate quality and reduction of membrane life. Cartridge filtration is normally a simple and cost-effective way to reduce the amount of particulate matter reaching the membrane surface.

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Topics: membrane filtration, membrane treatment system, membrane treatment, water treatment, membrane plants, water quality, ro calculations

8 Simple Steps for Performing a Successful Membrane Installation

Posted by Julie Nemeth-Harn on Mar 22, 2021 9:15:00 AM

Membranes are loaded from the feed end of the pressure vessel. To better understand the installation procedure, the following definitions are helpful:

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Topics: membrane treatment system, membrane treatment, water treatment, water quality

How Much Water Do Americans Use Versus Other Countries?

Posted by Julie Nemeth-Harn on Feb 22, 2021 10:28:00 AM

Much of the environmental discussion of the new millennium has been centered on an individual’s carbon footprint. From running the shower to the continuous flow of the faucet as you brush your teeth, we have all heard statistics regarding how much water we use. Similar to our carbon footprint, we can estimate our individual water footprint.

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Topics: water treatment, water footprint, water

Top 5 Uses for Reclaimed Wastewater

Posted by Julie Nemeth-Harn on Jan 25, 2021 9:15:00 AM

Whether commercial or residential, the modern world is currently seeing an increase in water reclamation practices. Reclaimed water, perhaps better described as "recycled water," is wastewater that has been filtered and treated for reuse, thereby limiting the need for fresh water use. This practice has increased in popularity over recent years. GAO reported 36 states as using reclaimed water in 2013, compared to just 23 states in 2003.  

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Topics: reclaimed water, reverse osmosis, water treatment, clean drinking water, water recycling, reverse osmosis pilot, save water, water treatment plant

Why Daily Data Collection is Important and What Parameters to Use to Monitor Your Membrane System

Posted by Julie Nemeth-Harn on Jan 18, 2021 9:00:00 AM

An important part of operating membrane systems is accurate data collection on a daily basis.  The data will help predict normal maintenance schedules and will help determine the cause of any system upsets.  Comprehensive data is very useful in determining when the membranes need to be chemically cleaned, or eventually replaced. It also alerts the operator to changes taking place such as fouling, leaking “O” rings etc.

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Topics: membrane treatment system, membrane treatment, water treatment, water quality, silt density index

How to calculate Anti-Scalant Feed Dosage?

Posted by Julie Nemeth-Harn on Jan 11, 2021 10:15:00 AM

There exists a potential for calcium, barium, strontium, fluoride and silica compounds to precipitate in the concentrate or brine channels of the reverse osmosis membranes. Precipitation occurs when the solubility limits of these various salts and silica is exceeded. 

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Topics: membrane treatment system, membrane treatment, water treatment, scale inhibitor