Low-pressure RO membrane desalination of agricultural drainage water Original Research Article

Agricultural drainage water is a complex mixture of dissolved and suspended chemical species and may contain a wide variety of microorganisms. The application of membrane systems for desalination of agricultural drainage (AD) water requires careful consideration of feed water quality, suitable membrane selection and operating conditions. In order to evaluate the potential applicability of low-pressure reverse osmosis (RO) to the treatment of AD water, a diagnostic approach to membrane selection and process evaluation was undertaken in support of a pilot field study in the California San Joaquin Valley. Five candidate membranes were evaluated in a diagnostic laboratory membrane system which provided an initial selection based on salt rejection and product water flux performance for model salt solutions of univalent and divalent cations. Biofouling potential of the selected membranes was also evaluated using two standards strains of bacteria. Preliminary pilot plant performance, based on the selected membranes, was encouraging and has provided the basis for long-term pilot plant testing at higher recoveries to assess the impact of fluctuating AD water feed composition.