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Strong growth of MBR treatment demands high efficiency fine pre-screening in South East Asia
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The expanding use of membrane bioreactors (MBRs) in South East Asia will play an important role in municipal and industrial wastewater treatment and recycling as the effects of climate change impact water availability and quality over the decades ahead. “MBRs offer advantages in process control and the quality of the water they process and reclaim, including operational efficiency, highly efficient treatment, space efficiency, flexibility, and environmental sustainability,” said Michael Bambridge, managing director, CST Wastewater Solutions. These advantages will become increasingly important as South East Asia becomes more vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including more frequent floods, droughts, typhoons, higher temperatures, and shifting rain patterns, all of which are causing greater strain on many resources, including supply of fresh unpolluted water. “The UN forecasts that by 2040, South East Asia’s population will reach 785 million — 50% more than at the beginning of this century. This will place unprecedented pressure on water and wastewater treatment and recycling, to ensure reliable and sustainable high-quality outflows into the environment — and to process
wastewater to the stage where it can be recycled and transformed from a problem into a resource,” he added. CST has installed hundreds of water and wastewater treatment systems in the Asia-Pacific over the past 30 years, including rugged municipal and industrial systems as well as recycling and biogas plants. “A MBR is a modern, more streamlined version of the conventional activated sludge treatment that offers
advantages in installation, operation and durability. But whereas an activated sludge system employs a secondary clarifier or settlement tank to separate solids and liquids, an MBR system uses a membrane to achieve this,” Bambridge said. It is important to have a properly designed and robust fine screening system in front of the MBR, according to the managing director. Fine screening is essential in protecting the expensive downstream membranes. Sharp or abrasive
This rotary drum screening unit is for offshore use on an island with environmental protection needs
46 Water & Wastewater Asia | September-October 2024
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