On the feasibility of small communities wellhead RO treatment for nitrate removal and salinity reduction

Jin Yong Choi; Tae Lee; Abdullah B Aleidan; Anditya Rahardianto; Madelyn Glickfeld; Maria E Kennedy; Yian Chen; Peter Haase; Carina Chen; Yoram Cohen

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109487

On the feasibility of small communities wellhead RO treatment for nitrate removal and salinity reduction

J Environ Manage. 2019 Nov 15:250:109487. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109487. Epub 2019 Sep 26.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Water Technology Research Center, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department, Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, 5531 Boelter Hall, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1592, USA.
² Water Technology Research Center, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department, Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, 5531 Boelter Hall, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1592, USA; Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, 300 LaKretz Hall, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1496, USA.
³ Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, 300 LaKretz Hall, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1496, USA.
⁴ Kennedy Communications, 9042 Camellia Court, Rancho Cucamonga, CA, 91737, USA.
⁵ Sherwood Design Engineers, 2548 Mission St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, USA.
⁶ Water Technology Research Center, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department, Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, 5531 Boelter Hall, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1592, USA; Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, 300 LaKretz Hall, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1496, USA. Electronic address: yoram@ucla.edu.

PMID: 31545175
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109487

Abstract

The feasibility of wellhead water treatment in small communities for nitrate removal and salinity reduction via a flexible high recovery RO system was evaluated through analysis of treatment options, laboratory and onsite field tests. In small remote communities that rely on septic systems for residential wastewater treatment, discharge of the RO residual stream (containing nitrate) to the community septic tank is shown to be a feasible option. It is demonstrated that RO treatment with a system that employs partial concentrate recycle, integrated with a pressure intensifier, enabled the use of a relatively low-pressure feed pump while allowing high recovery operation. The approach of integrating RO treatment into existing community small water systems is demonstrated to be suitable for providing effective nitrate removal and salinity reduction over wide range of nitrate and salinity levels, while meeting community water demand and regulatory water quality requirements.

Keywords: Nitrate removal; RO treatment; Salinity reduction; Septic system; Small water system; Wellhead RO water treatment.

MeSH terms

Feasibility Studies
Osmosis
Salinity*
Waste Disposal, Fluid
Wastewater
Water Purification*

Substances

Waste Water