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There are numerous types of water treatment systems. For instance, water softeners remove calcium and magnesium to prevent scaly buildup on plumbing, while UV systems bathe the water in ultraviolet light to kill biological contaminants. Membrane process systems, on the other hand, use a membrane or filter to remove impurities. The effectiveness of this method is described below.

Why Water Treatment Is Important for Industries

Many of today’s consumer goods are made using water to clean and cool the various parts. While some industries prefer purified H20 because it doesn’t corrode their plumbing systems, others require it in order to create a high-quality final product. For example, medical devices, especially those to be embedded in the human body, need to perfectly sterile to meet government regulations. Electronics can’t have any dirt in their circuit board that prevents them from functioning. Therefore, it is necessary to filter contaminants out, even on a microscopic level.

What Is a Membrane System?

This form of water treatment involves filtering the water through pores to remove impurities. Microfiltration systems have some of the largest pores—with diameters ranging from 0.1 to 10 microns—and are best for removing suspended solids from water passing through it under low pressure. This is enough to remove bacteria—and some viruses—from wastewater. 

water treatmentBy contrast, nanofiltration systems have only relatively recently been introduced. They utilize higher pressure but looser membranes. The pores are measured in nanometers, which are one-billionth of a meter. This lets them filter out dissolved organic solids, pesticides, and other agricultural chemicals.

Reverse osmosis systems operate similarly to nanofiltration membranes. Both require high pressure to work, and both are more compact and efficient than traditional systems. However, in these, the filter has the smallest pore size, of about 0.1 nanometers. By comparison, paper is approximately 100,000 nanometers thick. It is primarily used for desalination of seawater.

Why Industries Like Membrane Systems

While there are other methods of water treatment out there, some of them involve adding chemicals into the water to counterbalance those already there, instead of filtering them out. This can help correct the pH of acidic lake water; however, it is not a solution for all industries. Many companies will use a combination of methods, such as an algaecide, then a membrane system to lessen the work done by both. Alternatively, water may pass through the less selective membranes before being run through a reverse osmosis system, to extend the latter’s life span, since it is more delicate.

 

To have a membrane water treatment system installed, contact Western Environmental Management Corp in Carlsbad, NM. They have served industry owners throughout Eddy County for more than 30 years. They specialize in reverse osmosis systems, water softeners, and other types of water treatment systems. Visit their website to message them online or call (575) 885-5709 to schedule a consultation.

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