Hybrid Membrane Processes using activated carbon treatment for drinking water: A review

More stringent regulations on drinking water quality as well as an increased focus on emerging contaminants has favored the development of alternative technologies to the conventional process (clarification + filtration + chlorination). Over the last decade, low-pressure membrane filtration coupled with activated carbon has been emerging as a promising solution, often termed as the Hybrid Membrane Process. Combining activated carbon with membanes presents numerous challenges including membrane abrasion, membrane fouling, optimization of operating conditions, prediction of process performances and selection of the process configuration. This paper presents a review of the current knowledge concerning the use of the Hybrid Membrane Process, applied either under a biological or an adsorption mode, in view to produce drinking water. The paper reviews the alternative process layouts and discuss their expected performances with respect to water quality and membrane fouling.