~ REMOTE LOCATION ~

Skid Mounted Ultra Filtration Systems

Pacific Water Technology recently supplied a portable packaged water filtration system to treat poor-quality bore water in a remote location. The purpose of this modular filtration plant is to supply safe drinking water to a 60-man workers camp. The water is also used in the washrooms and the showers.

The bore water required filtration and disinfection and the package comprised of the following:

  • Fluoride Removal
  • Granular Activated Carbon filtration with automated backwash
  • Particulate Filtration – 5 micron
  • Ultrafiltration – Polymem Ultra Filtration
  • UV – disinfection

The bore water contains high levels of Fluoride (3 ppm) which has to be reduced to less than 0.5 ppm using a dual media comprising of activated alumina and aluminium activated calcium hydroxyapatite mineral. An activated carbon filter containing silver impregnated carbon removes any traces of organics that can impart any odour or unwanted flavour profile. The activated carbon filter also contains an automated backwash control head. Regular backwashes help remove any suspended solids and reclassifies the bed, that may otherwise become compacted. The next stage is a water softener which converts the hard water to soft water. 

The soft water is also better for the ultrafiltration membrane thereby reducing the risk of scale formation on the hollow fiber surface. A 5-micron cartridge protects the ultrafiltration membrane from any particulate damage.

Ultrafiltration often replaces other more conventional treatment techniques and microfiltration as well, as it has the capacity to eliminate not only small particles but also pathogenic germs including microorganisms, viruses, pyrogen and some dissolved organic species. A hollow fiber membrane is a small plastic tube less than one millimeter in diameter, whose wall is porous.

The pores of  Polymem membranes are 0,01 µm in size, that is to say, 10,000 times thinner than a human hair. Suspended matters, but also micro-organisms and viruses are perfectly retained on the surface of the fibers (the smallest micro-organisms and viruses have sizes of 0.2µ and 0.025 µ respectively). Ultrafiltration provides fine particulate filtration and disinfection all in one unit.

The water is fed into a 15.000 l storage tank and automatically topped up as the water level in the tank drops. The final step is an ultraviolet disinfection unit, that disinfects the water as the water exits the tank. The customer has been very satisfied with the great-tasting water and this confirms that even in remote locations good quality water can be realised.

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[Module 2]