Ultrafiltration and microfiltration increasingly replace conventional clarification and media filtration as RO pre-treatment, delivering a consistently low-SDI feed almost independent of raw-water variability.
Treating a borehole or groundwater supply? See our full approach — aeration and catalytic multimedia filtration for iron and manganese, ultrafiltration for SDI and RO pre-treatment, and disinfection for potable supply — with example arrangements by application.
Borehole TreatmentUF gives a near-constant low-SDI, low-turbidity feed regardless of raw-water swings, stabilising the RO.
UF provides an absolute barrier to particles, colloids and most microorganisms.
Membrane pre-treatment is compact compared with the equivalent clarifier and media train.
MF (about 0.1 micron) and UF (about 0.01 to 0.05 micron) reject by size, removing particles, colloids and microbes.
Dead-end operation maximises recovery for clean feeds; crossflow suits higher-solids duty.
Regular backwash and chemically enhanced backwash recover flux and control fouling.
Ultrafiltration pre-treatment routinely delivers SDI15 < 2 to 3 and turbidity < 0.1 NTU almost irrespective of feed variability, comfortably inside RO warranty limits and well below what conventional clarification and media filtration achieve on difficult or algal-bloom-affected waters. Operated at a sustainable flux with regular backwash and periodic chemically enhanced backwash, UF protects the downstream RO from the particulate and colloidal fouling that is otherwise irreversible, which is why UF-RO has become the default for demanding seawater and reuse applications.
Pressurised or submerged UF/MF systems with automated backwash and CEB.
Coagulation and DAF ahead of UF for high-fouling feeds.
Automated flux, backwash and CEB control for unattended operation.
Reynolds & Bauhm designs membrane systems and the pre-treatment that protects them — from UF/MF and SDI control to RO array design, energy recovery and CIP.
Our expertise spans multiple industries with sector-specific water treatment solutions.