Membrane retrofit enables feedwater switch

Use of Dow’s latest fouling-resistant desalination membrane technology successfully enabled a Dutch industrial water treatment plant to switch its feedwater from a river estuary to municipal sewage effluent.

The plant was the DECO water treatment facility in Terneuzen, Netherlands, which is operated by Evides Industriewater BV and provides Dow’s Terneuzen site with process water.

Although the organic fouling potential of the feedwater significantly increased, the retrofit was achieved through the replacement of the existing membrane modules with Dow’s latest high-performance fouling-resistant FilmTec reverse-osmosis brackish-water membranes. Additionally, the feed pumps were changed and slight modifications were done on the piping.

The benefit of this retrofit is double: water recovery increased by 20%, while the operational costs diminished by 50%, due to the lower feed-pressure requirement. In addition, the city’s wastewater is no longer discharged to the sea, but given another life as process water.

“Since the start-up in March 2007, these very robust membranes have shown that they can virtually withstand the necessary harsh and frequent cleanings without compromising a stable performance at a very high level,” said Kevin Reyntjens, European technical service and development leader for Dow Water Solutions.

For more information, contact Jeri Longtin-Kloss, The Dow Chemical Company
Tel +1 952 897 4375
Email: Gardener Hatch
Web: www.dowwatersolutions.com