Membrane bioreactors (MBR's) are an example of a type of emerging technology used in thefield of wastewater treatment that has been successfully applied to a variety of relatively smallwastewater treatment plants (WWTP's) throughout the United States. A beneficial reuseprogram for the effluents generated from these WWTP's has been developed. Spurred on by themany applications of these systems there have been two primary changes that have occurredin the development of the MBR technology over the past few years, which have affected theselection process of the system used, its application, and procurement and have included thefollowing:based on the success of these small WWTP's, larger MBR facilities are being planned,permitted, designed, and constructed for the purpose of providing reclaimed water for reuse; and,the competition between the four major manufacturers', as well as others that haverecently joined the wastewater membrane market, offering similar membrane equipment isintensifying.Each of the above changes has resulted in an increased and more complex decision-making processduring the planning, permitting, and design and procurement stages of a project that will utilizethis technology.The selection process to determine the most appropriate membrane equipment for a particularapplication depends on a number of factors, which include, but are not limited to capital andoperating costs, space limitations, level of service requirements, and many others. Moreover, thefundamental criteria such as the method of cleaning, membrane life (projected and historical),comparable operations, and technical support are all important to the successful operation of aMBR system. Other factors that must be considered in the evaluation of MBR options includethe configuration of the installed equipment, which ultimately impacts the tankage dimensionalrequirements.This paper describes the competitive bidding and evaluation approaches that have been utilized,the various selection criteria that are considered during the procurement of membrane equipmentfor MBR projects that involve reclaimed water reuse. The paper provides the reader with anevaluation and comparison of the various types of membrane equipment in use today throughoutthe United States noting their advantages and disadvantages, and describes the various usesof membranes in the field of wastewater treatment and reclaimed water reuse, and project costsfor the various systems. Finally, the paper discusses case studies based on actual operationaldata from existing facilities that are in operation today in the United States that are currentlyproviding the treatment and beneficial reuse of wastewaters. Includes tables, figures.
