This paper describes innovative design concepts used for the 20-mgd immersed
membrane water treatment plant under construction for the Westchester Joint Water
Works (WJWW), at Rye Lake, New York to afford water treatment process flexibility, while
enabling the plant to meet stringent disinfection byproduct (DBP) regulations and minimize operational costs.
Raw water quality from Rye Lake is typically very good and the plant design allows
water to be fed directly to the membranes. Alternatively, the raw water can be
coagulated and flocculated prior to the membranes in dual-purpose tanks.
To enable side-by-side comparison, two different membrane systems are being supplied
by the vendor, Zenon Membrane Solutions, ZW500d with a large diameter fiber and low
packing density and ZW1000 with a finer fiber and a higher packing density.
To improve performance, both membrane systems use periodic solids removal by tank
drain, rather than the "feed and bleed" method used previously by the membrane system
vendor. Implementing this solids removal method presented significant design
challenges.
To reduce overall power consumption, individual permeate pumps that create the
operating vacuum for the membranes have been replaced by siphons located in an
equalization tank. A small number of efficient vertical turbine pumps transfer water from
the wet well to the clearwells. Additionally, the membrane tanks are aerated by efficient
positive displacement blowers and the control system for these blowers incorporates two
modes of operation, air cycling and intermittent air operation. Includes tables, figures.