Massachusetts Resort Selects Koch Membrane Modules

Koch Membrane Systems, Inc., a developer and manufacturer of membranes and membrane filtration and separation systems, has been selected to provide PURON membrane modules for a membrane bioreactor (MBR) wastewater treatment plant at the Vacation Village Resorts in Hancock, Mass. The installation, which is built below grade, is the first use of the modules in a private development project in the United States.

Vacation Village has selected PURON PSH 500 membrane modules to be retrofitted into an existing biological wastewater treatment system. The entire plant will be installed with most of the equipment located underground to preserve the aesthetic characteristics of the environment at the Berkshires-based resort.

“The project not only allows the resort to expand,” said Michael Chan, project manager at Koch, “but the plant upgrade will also produce high-quality effluent that will meet the current sub-surface discharge standards and help Vacation Village to anticipate future regulatory requirements.”

The PURON membrane modules improve water quality, while using less space than treatment alternatives. An advantage of the PURON module is the use of a single header with reinforced hollow fibers that are fixed only at the bottom. The sealed upper end of each fiber is allowed to float freely. This eliminates the collection of hair and other materials that can clog the upper end of membrane fibers in MBR module designs that employ both a top and bottom header.

Biomass and particulates, including bacteria, are retained by the membrane and remain in the filtration tanks, while permeate is extracted through the membrane to the inside of the fibers for discharge. The outside-to-inside flow configuration provides optimal solids management and a high permeate output rate, while using up to 50% less energy than other MBR systems because of the aeration system design.

Source: Koch Membrane Systems