UF Membrane Protection, Tertiary Wastewater Treatment, USA

Background

The Moody Gardens Water Treatment Plant (1 MGD / 3,785 m³/d) treats effluent from the City of Galveston WWTP for non-potable reuse in the Moody Gardens Park and various services.
This plant is listed as a potable water supply and meets all Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) standards for potable water use.
Commissioned in 2008, the plant was sized to treat influent water quality with a maximum TSS of 1,900 ppm. Amiad SAF filters with 300 micron screens were included in the original design for tertiary waste water treatment and TSS removal prior to treatment with UF membranes before discharge.
After Hurricane Ike in September of 2008, infiltration of TSS at intake water threatened treatment system. Amiad filters overperformed, protecting the membranes and allowing continuous operation through the storm, recovery, and re-opening.

Challenge

Hurricane Ike brought a 15-17 foot storm surge to the Bolivar Peninsula, destroying over 3,200 homes*.
As a result, the City of Galveston produced less wastewater to process through the WWTP, reducing effluent discharge and allowing seawater infiltration of the discharge line from the wastewater plant, raising the TSS of the source water to nearly 6,000 ppm.
The SAF filters were challenged to continue to operate and perform, despite the deterioration of working conditions and water quality, with the influent TSS tripling in value.

* © 2024 HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Solution

The SAF filters continued to operate effectively under the new water conditions. They still protected the UF membranes providing water within the optimal conditions for the membrane system to work, and without the damage that could cause the shortening of the membrane lifespan and ultimately allowed for the plant to remain on-line.
The units remained in service until the end of 2023, when it was decided to upgrade the filtration system that had been in use since 2008, and they were replaced by 2 newly designed SAF-X filters.

Results

The TSS of the water is now steady at approximately 1,800 ppm and the water is primarily being used to irrigate the tropical gardens and the golf course.
The durability and reliability of Amiad products to perform under extreme conditions for extended periods instilled confidence in the operators and the original design engineering team.
When it came time to replace the filters that were at the end of their life under those extraordinary conditions, contacting Amiad was the obvious choice.

“We were very satisfied with the performance of the original Amiad SAF units, so it was a no-brainer for us to replace them with the Amiad SAF-X units”.
Roy Cortez, Plant Manager and Operator