H2O Innovation has successfully performed a cleaning-in-place for cartridge filters at a water treatment facility using its Genesys-PWT membrane cleaners. This new cleaning method could prevent water treatment facilities from disposing of millions of cartridge filters each year, thereby helping them reduce their plastic waste and achieve their sustainability objectives.

Over time, the sediment collected on cartridge filters creates physical and chemical fouling, which causes their performance to drop. As a result, reverse osmosis (RO) plant operators need to conduct periodical cartridge filter replacement to maintain optimal membrane performance and are constrained to sending the old filters to landfill. In some plants, cartridge filter replacement occurs several times a year or even monthly, resulting in not only cartridge costs but also in substantial losses due to the downtime required for filter replacement. Some plants may have up to 20,000 cartridge filter units, making replacement time very significant.

Here are some benefits of cartridge filter cleaning:

• The reduction of plastic pollution caused by cartridge filters in the water treatment industry, which is 20 to 100 times higher in volume than that caused by RO membrane elements.
• The reduction of operational expenses (OPEX) of a RO plant by up to 10 times. Cartridge filter replacement currently accounts for at least 20% of OPEX in some reuse plants due to the frequency of replacement.
• Increased plant production capacity due to reduced downtime for cartridge filter replacement.
• Savings in terms of CO2 emissions, as keeping cartridge filters clean (no delta pressure) leads to reduced energy consumption.

“A world thirsty for water, desalination and water reuse solutions must be accompanied by continuous improvements, and pre-treatment solutions that have been neglected for many years. Our laboratory in Madrid, Spain, which is specialized in membrane performance and filtration, has performed over 1,700 membrane autopsies. This expertise has led H2O Innovation to apply the same chemical cleaning solution to cartridge filters, allowing a greener and more sustainable process. This process could benefit countless membrane filtration plants, as almost all of them currently use cartridge filters. Conducting cartridge filter cleanings with the Genesys-PWT specialty cleaners should not only optimize the overall plant performance but also result in financial savings and environmental benefits. This innovation, just like our major investments in our line of powdered cleaners, which we produce at our Cheshire (UK) facility, aligns with our commitment to offer more sustainable solutions,” stated Frédéric Dugré, President and Chief Executive Officer of H2O Innovation.