Del Rio Water Treatment Plant Retrofitted

Koch Membrane Systems, Inc. (KMS), a world class developer and manufacturer of innovative membranes and membrane filtration systems, announced today that it has successfully started-up the initial phase of its retrofit to the ultra filtration system at the City of Del Rio’s watertreatment plant located in Del Rio, Texas. The full retrofit project is scheduled to be completed over the course of a year.

In 2003, the city commissioned a new Aquasource brand UF membrane filtration plant in response to the Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (IESWTR) and recommendations by the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ). By 2011, the plant’s original UF membrane cartridges were showing signs of wear, requiring frequent fiber repairs. Ultimately the cartridges were determined to have reached the end of their useful life and needed to be replaced.

Replacement costs utilizing the existing specified membranes were beyond the facility’s operating budget, forcing the City of Del Rio to pursue a retrofit project, initially with little success. Most of the ultra filtration membrane companies contacted could either not match the foot print of the existing cartridges, or the quoted expense for the retrofit project was cost-prohibitive to take on.

Following successful testing of Koch Membrane Systems’ TARGAIIUF membranes, it was determined that a retrofit could be implemented with minimal modification to the existing system. KMS system designers were able to provide prefabricated rack inserts including manifolds, connectors and membrane cartridges that fit within the existing rack framework and utilised existing system controls. KMS also provided installation and startup assistance.

“We are very happy to have been able to help the City of Del Rio solve their membrane supply problem and offer a domestically manufactured product to replace their existing cartridges” said Grady Coberly, Sales Manager, Gulf States Region for the company’s Water & Wastewater business unit. “The TARGA II hollow  fiber UF membranes were a perfect fit and provided the city with a robust alternative with minimal breakage, an efficient footprint, and a cost-effective solution.”