Groundwater treatment by ceramic membranes: pilot tests at the Commonwealth Games Village in Delhi, India

Ceramic membranes are increasingly gaining popularity in the field of water treatment. High quality, better operability, robustness, ability to work in harsher environments and efficient removal of organic contaminants are just some of the characteristics which are making it an interesting alternative for water treatment facilities worldwide. This paper aims to evaluate the performance of an ultrafiltration (UF) ceramic membrane pilot plant installed in an 1 MGD (million gallons per day) plant in Delhi, to adapt the process and to optimize the operational features, so that it can be suggested as an economical and technical alternative to existing UF polymeric membrane installations in Indian municipal facilities. The investigation is conceptualized with the production of potable water after filtration at a volumetric flow rate of 1.2 m3/h through an UF ceramic membrane having a pore size of 50 nm. The process parameters such as the duration of filtration, flow rate, flux, flocculant concentration, and chemicals were varied to check its adaptability and effectiveness for better performance. Laboratory tests, evaluation of the results and troubleshooting were used to regulate the quality aspects of the study.