Interest in membrane micro- or ultrafiltration for water treatment is rapidly growing in the United States and internationally. Procurement of the membrane equipment for these plants is a major component of the overall project because the membrane equipment package may represent one-third of the total construction cost. However, equitable procurement is elusive because of the wide variability in membrane systems from one manufacturer to another. Available systems exhibit different first costs, membrane replacement costs, and annual operating costs. Furthermore, the selection of a particular system impacts design features in the plant. One system requires concrete basins, another a higher entrance pressure, and another provides more favorable recovery. The combination of cost and operational differences presents a significant challenge to accomplishing an equitable procurement of membrane filtration equipment. This paper describes specific procurement strategies employed for four Oregon membrane filtration plants. They range in capacity from 0.5 to 6.0 million gallons per day. For these examples, the membrane equipment was 24 to 36 percent of the total construction cost. For three of the plants, the membrane equipment was pre-purchased by the utility. These three solicited proposals from pre-qualified manufacturers. Their decisions were based on life-cycle cost analyses and consideration of non-monetary factors. In the fourth example, the utility selected one system, negotiated a supply contract, and required the general construction contractor to purchase the selected system. Both approaches are valid. Their advantages and disadvantages are examined in this paper. Includes table, figures.
