PROJECT DETAILS


  • Project No 2023
  • Project Name Destruction of toxicity & reduction of organic content of municipal wastewater reverse osmosis concentrate
  • Lead Organisation Greater Western Water
  • Research Lead RMIT University
  • Main Researcher Felicity Roddick
  • Completion Year 2016

Project Description

Wastewater recycling uses reverse osmosis (RO) membranes to produce freshwater but this process also generates a waste stream – the reverse osmosis concentrate (ROC) – which contains almost all the contaminants present in the original wastewater. The disposal of untreated ROC poses a health and environmental risk. This research used 18 samples of ROC to test various treatment combinations and concluded that coagulation with ferric chloride followed by filtration with biological activated carbon reduced dissolved organic carbon, phosphorus and nitrogen compounds, and disinfection by-products, to safe and acceptable levels.