Research and Applications of Membrane Technologies for Potable Water Reuse Webinar

This webinar will provide an overview of current research activities and future research needs regarding use of membrane technologies for beneficial wastewater reuse.  It will tap the expertise of Membrane Technology Research Committee members to provide an in-depth look at how membranes have been and are being used to reclaim wastewater. 

The webinar will cover basic terminology and fundamental concepts related to membranes and will recount the historic role of membranes in water reuse.  It will present the challenges and achievements concerning membrane research and then touch on current membrane research, including novel materials (e.g., ceramic, graphene), novel configurations (e.g., forward osmosis, membrane distillation), and other research fields pertaining to membranes. It will give the basics of how membranes work and are applied and the challenges associated with water reuse; and it will present research questions that have been, and those that need to be, answered. 

Water reuse is becoming an increasingly important component of many community water portfolios.  Membrane technologies are an integral part of many water reuse schemes, and recent technological developments have improved process performance, increased reliability, and decreased costs.  The membrane field is rapidly advancing.  This webinar will provide an overview on recent and current membrane-related research, research needs, and future trends.  It will give the basic fundamentals of membrane processes, a historical narrative of the role of membranes in water reuse, and the types of research that are being conducted by AWWA members.

Because many utilities are stressed for water, water reuse is increasingly relied on to secure additional water supplies.  Even so, many utilities are slow to adopt new technologies and may not be aware of much of the recent advancements in membrane technology.  This webinar will introduce the current state of membrane technologies, challenges related to water reuse, and future needs, and it will offer discussion of future developments that may be expected.  Also, an intent of this webinar is to help overcome the disconnect between researchers and those who apply technology in the water industry.  It is hoped that viewers will discover potential solutions to real-world problems, and, most important, develop collaborations with membrane research groups to further develop, test, and implement new technologies.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the main purposes for using membrane technologies for water reuse applications.
2. Compare the differences among major membrane types.
3. Evaluate the types of constituents that can permeate different membranes.
4. Discuss current membrane research activities and formulate future research needs.
5. Analyze whether a novel membrane technology is currently viable for reuse applications.