Rueter-Hess Water
Purification Facility
North America’s First Ceramic Membrane Filtration Plant
Jamie Langer
Stephanie Sansom, PE
Presentation Overview
• History of Parker Water & Sanitation
• Reclaimed Water Loop
• Rueter-Hess Reservoir
• Rueter-Hess Water Treatment Facility
•
•
•
•
•
Pilot Testing
Major Processes – Actiflo, Ceramic Membranes
Schedule
Startup and Commissioning Challenges
O&M Challenges
PWSD Service Area
• Approximately 50,000
Customers
• 27,600 Acres (43 Square
Miles)
• 17 Well Houses
• 30 Operational Deep
Groundwater Wells
• Alluvial Water
• 2 Wastewater
Reclamation Facilities
• 1 Surface Water Plant
PWSD
PWSD
404 Permit Process
First 404 Permit Granted in Feb 2004, 16,200 ac-ft
Amended 404
Dam/Reservoir
Construction
1985
Reservoir
Concept
Cherry Creek Diversion
Structure Built
Expanded to 72,000 ac-ft
Phase 1
Dam/Reservoir
Construction
Phase 2
Re-Use Loop
Pilot
Testing Membrane Testing/Actiflo
Design
RHWPF
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Water
First
Pumped
to RHR
2011
2012
24,000
acre-ft in
storage
RHWPF
Construction
2013
2014
2015
2016
Rueter-Hess Water Purification Facility
7/23/2015
Piloted Process Alternatives
Microfiltration
Ceramic
Polymeric
Oxidation of Fe
and Mn
Potassium
Perm.
Chlorine
Dioxide
Enhanced Organics
Removal
Enhanced
Coag.
Magnetic
Ion
Exchange
(MIEX)
ConvenPAC
addition
RecircPAC
Selected Treatment Process
Actiflo Turbo
Actiflo Carb
Ceramic Membranes
Selected Treatment Process
Actiflo
Carb
Ceramic
Membranes
Actiflo
Turbo Special
Features
Actiflo Turbo
•
•
•
•
Small footprint
Uses Microsand for rapid settling
Hydrocyclones recycle sand
Option for enhanced coagulation
Actiflo Turbo Water Quality Goals
• pH for Enhanced Coagulation
• Turbidity - 1.5-3 NTU
• DOC removal - ~50%
Selected Treatment Process
Actiflo
Carb
Water
Actiflo
Turbo
Quality Goals
• Turbidity 1-2 NTU
• DOC < 2 mg/L,
70% removal
• Fe < 0.3 mg/L
• Mn < 0.05 mg/L
• PAC conc.
≈ 1000mg/L
Actiflo Carb
ActifloMembranes
Carb Special
Ceramic
Features
• PAC removes:
• DOC/TOC
• CEC
• Taste and odor
• PAC particles
recirculated for
complete utilization
Selected Treatment Process
CMActiflo
Water Quality
Turbo
Goals
• 0.1 NTU 95% of the
time
• Not to Exceed 0.5 NTU
CM Actiflo
Special Features
Carb
• High flux  smaller
footprint
• Absolute barrier: no
solids/pollutant
breakthrough
• 4-log removal Crypto
• Durable – can withstand
PAC/microsand
• 0.5 log removal Virus
• 20 year warranty
• FIRST of its kind in
the North America
Ceramic Membranes
®
Actiflo
Turbo
1. Coagulated raw water enters /
microsand and polymer added
2. Rapid settling and material
recirculation
3. Clarified water continues to Actiflo
Carb
4. Settled solids microsand
recirculated to hydrocyclones
®
Actiflo
Carb
1. PAC added
2. Coagulant added / floc formation
begins
3. Microsand and polymer added to
remove organics and turbidity
4. Rapid settling and material
recirculation
5. PAC / microsand recirculation
Ceramic Membranes
How KCM differs from
“conventional” membranes
• High Flux (approved to 175 gfd at 20 deg C)
• High Recovery (> 97%)
• Longest membrane warranty – 20 years
• High chemical and pressure tolerance
• Most durable element (microsand, PAC)
• Highest Quality Control – every element tested; others are batch
tested
Ceramic Membrane Element
• 7.1 in x 59.1 in (D x L)
• 0.1 μm pore size
• 2000 channels per element
• Inside-out Flow
• Aluminum Oxide material
Courtesy: Kruger, 2014
Ceramic Membrane Element
Courtesy: Kruger, 2014
Skid Layout
• Skids consist of 8 or 10 Racks
• Each rack consists of 10
elements
Startup and Commissioning
Schedule
• Pilot Testing – 2007
• Design – 2008 to 2012
• One-Year Delay due to Economic Downturn
• Construction – 2012 to 2015
• Operational Startup – February 2015
• Water to Distribution
• Original – February 2015
• Revised – May 2015
• Actual – July 2015
Startup and Commissioning
• First surface water plant for the
District
• No prior standards/process due to
first of its kind
• Planned operation of 8-10 hours per
day and seasonal shutdowns
• Long start up duration, almost 6
months
• Operator intensive training
throughout construction and startup
• Difficult contracting model
• SCADA integration
Chemical System Issues
• PAC Silo
• Level sensors
• Wetting cone sensors; low hopper
levels
• PAC bridging in silo
• Air compressor
• Chlorine Dioxide System
• Generator alarms
• Recirculation pump would not
hold suction
• Microsand
• Seal water alarms / leaking pumps
Optimization
• Pre-treatment
• Chemical dosing
• PAC system / recirculation /
wasting
• High metals (Fe/Mn)
• Due ferric addition for coagulation
• Source water quality
• Ammonia levels higher than
anticipated
• Source Water
• Top of reservoir too clean
• Bottom of reservoir too dirty
• Sequencing
• Designed for 24 hours / day
operation
• Planned operation of 8-10 hours /
day and seasonal shutdowns
Optimization
• Ceramic Membranes
• Valves
• ~ 700 Bray valves installed
• Water quality
• Low influent turbidity (~1 NTU from
Actiflo®)
• Consistent effluent turbidity (~0.1
NTU)
• Fe Goal: 100 ppb (soluble)
• Mn Goal: 50 ppb (soluble)
• CEB chemicals – residual issues
• Relocation of chemical dosing
locations
(ferric)
• Turbidimeter replacement
Total/Dissolved Manganese Levels
0.4
0.3
Post Actiflo
Turbo
0.2
Raw
0.1
Membrane
Feed
Total Fe (mg/L)
Filter
Effluent
0
Dissolved Fe (mg/L)
7/23/2015 7/28/2015 8/2/2015 8/7/2015 8/12/2015 8/17/2015 8/22/2015
0.4
• Majority of Manganese through the
system is dissolved
• SMCL = 0.05 mg/L
0.3
Post Actiflo
Turbo
0.2
Raw
0.1
0
7/23/2015
Membrane
Feed
7/30/2015
Filter
Effluent
8/6/2015
8/13/2015
8/20/2015
Total/Dissolved Iron Levels
4
3
Total Fe (mg/L)
Post Actiflo
Turbo
2
Membrane
Feed
1
0
Filter
Effluent
Raw
7/23/2015
7/30/2015
• SMCL = 0.3 mg/L
8/6/2015
8/13/2015
3
2.5
2
Post Actiflo
Post Actiflo
Turbo
Turbo
1.5
1
0.5
0
Dissolved Fe (mg/L)
8/20/2015
7/23/2015
Raw
Membrane
Membrane
Feed
Feed
Raw
7/30/2015
8/6/2015
Filter
Effluent Filter
Effluent
8/13/2015
8/20/2015
Membrane Monitoring
Permeability (gfd/psi)
T2S2 Permeability Norm
18.00
KCM - Train 2, Skid 2 Permeability - Normalized
KCM - Train 2, Skid 2 Backwash Status
KCM - Train 2, Skid 2 CEB Status
Permeability Recovers
16.00
14.00
12.00
10.00
8.00
6.00
4.00
2.00
0.00
Chemically
Enhanced BW
Chemically
Enhanced BW
Membrane Monitoring
0.400
5.000
0.350
4.500
Plant Start
4.000
0.300
3.500
0.250
0.200
0.150
3.000
Influent Turbidity
2.500
0.1 NTU, 95% of Operation
1.500
0.100
0.050
0.000
2.000
Filter Effluent Turbidity
1.000
0.500
0.000
Influent Turbidity (NTU)
CFE Turbidity (NTU)
CFE 8/1/2015 6:30 AM to 4:30 PM
O&M Challenges – First 6 Months
• Ceramic Membrane System
• Bray valves; actuator replacement
• PAC System
• Bridging / Alarms / Compressor
• Compressor Room
• Poor HVAC design
• Slide Gates
• Failed bearings
• Replacement of gate stems
Acknowledgments
• Dewberry – Engineer
• Garney/Weaver – Construction Manager
• Western Summit – Contractor
• Kruger – Actiflo, KCM
• MWI – Electrical
Questions?