The MBR Blog

Sludge incineration vs anaerobic digestion − the simple truth

Guest blog: Prospects for water reuse and the Semmelweis reflex

When travelling to California in the early 2000s,Graeme Pearce was struck by the difference in attitude to water reuse between Los Angeles and San Diego. Only 100 miles separate these two centres, but the attitude to reuse is chalk and cheese.

Membrane ageing – factors determining membrane replacement

Membrane replacement represents the third largest contribution to the operating cost of an MBR or UF/MF filtration plant, after i.a. energy demand, and there is little doubt that membrane life is of keen interest to membrane technology practitioners.

Membrane science – a geek writes

In membrane science, you have physicists (film theory, hydraulic resistance and molecular dynamics) and chemists (chemical/biochemical stoichiometry, organic polymer synthesis and Gibbs–Donnan equilibria). Oh yes, membrane science is pretty hard core.

Going forward with osmosis

Wastewater treatment offers examples of usefully combining two unit processes, like the MLE (Modified Ludzak Ettinger) process for nutrient removal, and combined screening/degritting for protecting downstream processes from rags and abrasive particles.

MBR disinfection: playing with numbers?

Stephen Katz et al.'s article 'The disinfection capability of MBRs: credit where credit’s due' raises a few intriguing questions concerning the measurement of the disinfection capability of an MBR and of any other water and wastewater treatment technology.

MBR training – plugging the gaps

It’s often said that training courses are the first thing accountants cross off the budget when money is tight. Others think blocking a couple of days out for training is too much of a luxury for today’s world. But maybe it’s a false economy.

Waste products? The circular economy in wastewater treatment

Reclamation of water for non-potable use (and, in some parts of the world, potable water supply) is very well established. This is one of the key applications of MBRs, often upstream of UV irradiation, activated carbon adsorption and/or reverse osmosis.

The MBR Site – what measure success?

Many marketing managers measure success by the number of clicks their advert receives, directing traffic to their website. This is a fairly simplistic measure for a niche website like The MBR Site: buying an MBR is not like buying a smart phone accessory.

Climate change challenges in wastewater management

Managing wastewater in the context of climate change was discussed at the workshop on Wet Weather Overflows, the latest in Ovivo’s 'Utilities Of The Future' series. It was a thought-provoking session, with some compelling observations from the panel.

The joy of text − academic research papers

Academic research should be ground-breaking and novel. The experience of authoring and reviewing papers has given me a number of insights – specifically clichés to avoid, like ‘membrane fouling is the most significant challenge to MBR implementation’.