WILMINGTON, MA, March 23, 2015 -- The Alto da Boa Vista (ABV) drinking water treatment plant in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, is set to soon receive a major expansion, with Koch Membrane Systems, Inc. (KMS), a developer and manufacturer of membranes and membrane filtration systems, selected to provide its PURON® HF (high-flow) reinforced, hollow-fiber ultrafiltration (UF) system for the project.
ABV, also known as "ETA Eng. Rodolfo José da Costa e Silva," produces drinking water using conventional technology (coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, sand filtration, and chlorine disinfection) for a population of more than 5 million people in the metropolitan area of São Paulo. In 2014, the plant installed and launched the first UF drinking water system in South America, which also utilized KMS' PURON HF membranes. The new project was initiated to double the treatment capacity of the existing UF system from 23 million gallons per day (MGD) (3,600 m3/hr) to 46 MGD (7,200 m3/hr).
Raw feed water is drawn from the Guarapiranga Reservoir located over 12 miles (20 km) from the treatment plant. During dry seasons when a high concentration of algae is present in the reservoir, water may be drawn from the existing clarifiers as an additional source of supply. The high concentration of algae during these periods has historically posed a challenge for the sand filters, limiting production capacity. As such, the ability of the PURON HF UF system to handle high solids loads will help to alleviate this problem.
The benefits of hollow-fiber UF have been demonstrated at the site through the successful operation of the initial plant, which was launched in a matter of weeks in 2014. As during the first phase, SABESP, a Brazilian water and waste management company owned by São Paulo state, has contracted with Centroprojekt do Brasil to engineer and install the facility.
"Given the ongoing drought conditions in Sao Paulo and other areas of Brazil, the availability of safe drinking water for the growing population is a critical issue for the city and the country as a whole," said Sergio Ribeiro, commercial director - South America for KMS. "At the same time as demand is increasing, so are the requirements for water quality. Concurrently, water treatment facilities are forced to draw on more challenging raw water sources. Given this combination of challenges, the PURON reinforced hollow fiber with its high-solids tolerance and robust operations capability is an ideal solution."
See also:
"Koch: Hollow fiber product line"
"Russia oil refinery to receive advanced membrane bioreactors for WWTP upgrade"
About Koch Membrane Systems
For five decades, Koch Membrane Systems has led the way in developing innovative membrane technologies that serve a diverse range of industries and applications around the globe. KMS provides solutions to markets including industrial and municipal water and wastewater, food and life sciences and industrial processes, helping thousands of industries reduce their water footprint, increase productivity, and reduce costs. The company has an installed base approaching 20,000 systems throughout the world. For more information, visit www.kochmembrane.com.
###
