Technical comparison between two pretreatment piping compact units for ultrafiltration water plants

Background: Ultrafiltration plants are increasingly used for producing high-quality water. The research aimed to compare two compact piping units employed as pretreatment systems to enhance surface water quality. The aim was to achieve the specified average values of feed water quality necessary for ultrafiltration (UF) plants, as per the requirements of the UF manufacturer. The units were intended for use in a water treatment plant with a capacity of 5000 m3/day, where the influent water's total suspended solids (TSS) ranged from 130 to 160 mg/L. Methods: The initial unit implemented plate settler technology to facilitate sedimentation, whereas the subsequent unit adopted filtration. Both piping systems were assessed for their efficacy in conforming to stipulated water quality standards alongside the corresponding economic considerations. Results: Both piping units effectively achieved the mandated water quality standards, albeit at disparate costs. In this specific case study, the sedimentation units incurred an initial expense of 191 800 Egyptian pounds (LE) (equivalent to $6209.5), whereas the filtration units necessitated an initial investment of 471 680 LE ($15 270.5). Additionally, both the initial outlay and ongoing operational expenses of the sedimentation units were inferior to those of the filtration units. Conclusion: Based on the study results, the use of sedimentation units proved to be more cost-effective. Despite meeting the required water quality standards, the sedimentation units had lower initial and operational costs than the filtration units. Therefore, it is recommended to use sedimentation units as the pretreatment system in this water treatment plant to achieve the desired water quality while optimizing costs.