WILMINGTON, Mass. — Koch Membrane Systems Inc., a developer and manufacturer of innovative membranes and membrane filtration systems, announced that it has successfully started-up the initial phase of its retrofit to the ultrafiltration system at the city of Del Rio’s water treatment plant located in Del Rio, Texas, according to a press release.
The full retrofit project is scheduled to be completed over the course of a year.
In 2003, the city commissioned a new Aquasource brand UF membrane filtration plant in response to the Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (IESWTR) and recommendations by the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ), noted the release.
By 2011, the plant’s original UF membrane cartridges were showing signs of wear, requiring frequent fiber repairs. Ultimately the cartridges were determined to have reached the end of their useful life and needed to be replaced.
Following successful testing of Koch Membrane Systems’ TARGA II UF membranes, it was determined that a retrofit could be implemented with minimal modification to the existing system, stated the release.
KMS system designers were able to provide prefabricated rack inserts including manifolds, connectors and membrane cartridges that fit within the existing rack framework and utilized existing system controls. KMS also provided installation and startup assistance.
“We are very happy to have been able to help the City of Del Rio solve their membrane supply problem and offer a domestically manufactured product to replace their existing cartridges” said Grady Coberly, sales manager, Gulf States Region for the company’s Water & Wastewater business unit. “The TARGA II hollow fiber UF membranes were a perfect fit and provided the city with a robust alternative with minimal breakage, an efficient footprint, and a cost-effective solution.”