Rueter-Hess Water Purification Facility
North America’s First Ceramic Membrane Filtration Plant
Jamie LangerStephanie Sansom, PE
Presentation Overview
• History of Parker Water & Sanitation• Reclaimed Water Loop• Rueter-Hess Reservoir • Rueter-Hess Water Treatment Facility
• Pilot Testing• Major Processes – Actiflo, Ceramic Membranes• Schedule• Startup and Commissioning Challenges• O&M Challenges
• Approximately 50,000
Customers
• 27,600 Acres (43 Square
Miles)
• 17 Well Houses
• 30 Operational Deep
Groundwater Wells
• Alluvial Water
• 2 Wastewater
Reclamation Facilities
• 1 Surface Water Plant
PWSD Service Area
PWSDPWSDPWSD
404 Permit Process First 404 Permit Granted in Feb 2004, 16,200 ac-ft
Amended 404
Phase 1 Dam/ReservoirConstruction
Phase 2Dam/Reservoir
ConstructionCherry Creek Diversion
Structure Built
Membrane Testing/Actiflo Pilot
TestingDesign RHWPF Water
First Pumped to RHR RHWPF
Construction
Expanded to 72,000 ac-ft
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Re-Use Loop
1985 Reservoir Concept
24,000 acre-ft in storage
Rueter-Hess Water Purification Facility7/23/2015
Piloted Process Alternatives
Microfiltration
Ceramic Polymeric
Oxidation of Fe and Mn
Potassium Perm.
Chlorine Dioxide
Enhanced Organics Removal
Enhanced Coag.
Magnetic Ion
Exchange (MIEX)
Conven-PAC
addition
Recirc-PAC
Ceramic MembranesActiflo CarbActiflo Turbo
Selected Treatment Process
Selected Treatment ProcessCeramic MembranesActiflo CarbActiflo Turbo
Actiflo Turbo Water Quality Goals• pH for Enhanced Coagulation• Turbidity - 1.5-3 NTU• DOC removal - ~50%
Actiflo Turbo Special Features• Small footprint• Uses Microsand for rapid settling• Hydrocyclones recycle sand • Option for enhanced coagulation
Ceramic MembranesActiflo CarbActiflo Turbo Actiflo Carb Special Features
• PAC removes:• DOC/TOC• CEC• Taste and odor
• PAC particles recirculated for complete utilization
Actiflo Carb Water Quality Goals
• Turbidity 1-2 NTU
• DOC < 2 mg/L, 70% removal
• Fe < 0.3 mg/L
• Mn < 0.05 mg/L
• PAC conc. ≈ 1000mg/L
Selected Treatment Process
Ceramic MembranesActiflo CarbActiflo TurboCM Water Quality Goals
• 0.1 NTU 95% of the time
• Not to Exceed 0.5 NTU
• 4-log removal Crypto
• 0.5 log removal Virus
CM Special Features• High flux smaller
footprint
• Absolute barrier: no solids/pollutant breakthrough
• Durable – can withstand PAC/microsand
• 20 year warranty
• FIRST of its kind in the North America
Selected Treatment Process
Actiflo® Turbo
1. Coagulated raw water enters / microsand and polymer added
2. Rapid settling and material recirculation
3. Clarified water continues to Actiflo Carb
4. Settled solids microsand recirculated to hydrocyclones
Actiflo® Carb1. PAC added2. Coagulant added / floc formation
begins3. Microsand and polymer added to
remove organics and turbidity4. Rapid settling and material
recirculation5. PAC / microsand recirculation
Ceramic Membranes
How KCM differs from “conventional” membranes• High Flux (approved to 175 gfd at 20 deg C) • High Recovery (> 97%)• Longest membrane warranty – 20 years • High chemical and pressure tolerance • Most durable element (microsand, PAC)• Highest Quality Control – every element tested; others are batch
tested
Ceramic Membrane Element
• 7.1 in x 59.1 in (D x L)• 0.1 μm pore size• 2000 channels per element• Inside-out Flow• Aluminum Oxide material
Courtesy: Kruger, 2014
Ceramic Membrane Element
Courtesy: Kruger, 2014
Skid Layout
• Skids consist of 8 or 10 Racks• Each rack consists of 10
elements
Startup and Commissioning
Schedule
• Pilot Testing – 2007 • Design – 2008 to 2012
• One-Year Delay due to Economic Downturn
• Construction – 2012 to 2015• Operational Startup – February 2015• Water to Distribution
• Original – February 2015• Revised – May 2015• Actual – July 2015
Startup and Commissioning• First surface water plant for the
District• No prior standards/process due to
first of its kind• Planned operation of 8-10 hours per
day and seasonal shutdowns• Long start up duration, almost 6
months• Operator intensive training
throughout construction and startup• Difficult contracting model• SCADA integration
Chemical System Issues
• PAC Silo• Level sensors• Wetting cone sensors; low hopper
levels• PAC bridging in silo• Air compressor
• Chlorine Dioxide System• Generator alarms• Recirculation pump would not
hold suction
• Microsand• Seal water alarms / leaking pumps
Optimization• Pre-treatment
• Chemical dosing• PAC system / recirculation /
wasting• High metals (Fe/Mn)
• Due ferric addition for coagulation• Source water quality
• Ammonia levels higher than anticipated
• Source Water• Top of reservoir too clean• Bottom of reservoir too dirty
• Sequencing• Designed for 24 hours / day
operation• Planned operation of 8-10 hours /
day and seasonal shutdowns
Optimization• Ceramic Membranes
• Valves• ~ 700 Bray valves installed
• Water quality• Low influent turbidity (~1 NTU from
Actiflo®)• Consistent effluent turbidity (~0.1
NTU)• Fe Goal: 100 ppb (soluble)• Mn Goal: 50 ppb (soluble)
• CEB chemicals – residual issues• Relocation of chemical dosing
locations (ferric)
• Turbidimeter replacement
Total/Dissolved Manganese Levels
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
7/23/2015 7/28/2015 8/2/2015 8/7/2015 8/12/2015 8/17/2015 8/22/2015
Raw
Post Actiflo Turbo
Membrane Feed
Filter Effluent
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
7/23/2015 7/30/2015 8/6/2015 8/13/2015 8/20/2015
Raw
Post Actiflo Turbo
Membrane Feed
Filter Effluent
• Majority of Manganese through the system is dissolved
• SMCL = 0.05 mg/L
Total Fe (mg/L)
Dissolved Fe (mg/L)
0
1
2
3
4
7/23/2015 7/30/2015 8/6/2015 8/13/2015 8/20/2015
Total/Dissolved Iron Levels
Raw
Post Actiflo Turbo
Membrane Feed
Filter Effluent
Raw
Post Actiflo Turbo
Membrane Feed
Filter Effluent
• SMCL = 0.3 mg/L
Total Fe (mg/L)
Dissolved Fe (mg/L)
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
7/23/2015 7/30/2015 8/6/2015 8/13/2015 8/20/2015
Raw
Post Actiflo Turbo
Membrane Feed Filter
Effluent
0.002.004.006.008.00
10.0012.0014.0016.0018.00
Perm
eabi
lity
(gfd
/psi)
T2S2 Permeability NormKCM - Train 2, Skid 2 Permeability - NormalizedKCM - Train 2, Skid 2 Backwash StatusKCM - Train 2, Skid 2 CEB Status
Membrane Monitoring
Chemically Enhanced BW
Permeability Recovers
Chemically Enhanced BW
0.000
0.500
1.000
1.500
2.000
2.500
3.000
3.500
4.000
4.500
5.000
0.000
0.050
0.100
0.150
0.200
0.250
0.300
0.350
0.400
Influ
ent T
urbi
dity
(NTU
)
CFE
Turb
idity
(NTU
)
CFE 8/1/2015 6:30 AM to 4:30 PM
Membrane Monitoring
Plant Start
Filter Effluent Turbidity
0.1 NTU, 95% of OperationInfluent Turbidity
O&M Challenges – First 6 Months
• Ceramic Membrane System• Bray valves; actuator replacement
• PAC System• Bridging / Alarms / Compressor
• Compressor Room• Poor HVAC design
• Slide Gates• Failed bearings• Replacement of gate stems
Acknowledgments • Dewberry – Engineer
• Garney/Weaver – Construction Manager
• Western Summit – Contractor
• Kruger – Actiflo, KCM
• MWI – Electrical
Questions?