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?