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Home My WebLink About03.b. Receive introduction to membrane filtration pilot program Page 1 of 5 Item 3.b. CENTRAL SAN December 16, 2019 TO: REAL ESTATE, ENVIRONMENTAL AND PLANNING COMMITTEE FROM: AMANDA CAUBLE, ASSOCIATE ENGINEER DAN FROST, SENIOR ENGINEER REVIEWED BY: MELODY LABELLA, RESOURCE RECOVERY PROGRAM MANAGER DANEA GEMMELL, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DIVISION MANAGER JEAN-MARC PETIT, DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNICAL SERVICES ROGER S. BAILEY, GENERAL MANAGER SUBJECT: RECEIVE INTRODUCTION TO MEMBRANE FILTRATION PILOT PROJECT Central San staff is submitting this memorandum for the December 16, 2019 Real Estate, Environmental, and Planning (REEP) Committee meeting and the January 16, 2020 Board Meeting to provide an introduction to a Membrane Pilot Project and for discussion and feedback. Project Background and Objectives: Central San staff is working on the design of renovation improvements to existing Filter No. 3 as part of the Filter Plant and Clearwell I mprovements Project Phase 1 A, District Project (DP) 7361, which is scheduled to start construction in the first half of fiscal year (FY) 2020-21. Prior to constructing improvements to existing Filter No. 3 and prior to eventual renovation of the other three remaining dual granular media filters, staff is pursuing this Membrane Pilot Project (Pilot Project)to conduct proof-of-concept testing and evaluate the feasibility of new tertiary membrane filtration in lieu of renovating existing filters. Staff met with representatives of Fibracast (including Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Diana Benedek), an Anaergia Company and leading manufacturer of membrane technology, at both the 2019 Annual WateReuse Symposium in San Diego and the Water Environment Federation's Technical Exhibition and Conference (W EFTEC) in Chicago in September 2019. Fibracast offered to supply an available pilot unit, currently located in Central California, and to assist with the Pilot Project. Attachments 1 and 2 illustrate the configuration and size of a membrane pilot unit. This Pilot Project is to demonstrate membranes as a technology for tertiary filtration at Central San, using the Fibracast membrane as an example membrane to produce recycled water. The use of the Fibracast membrane for the pilot would not preclude other membrane manufacturers from participating in any future testing and design, if the Pilot Project concludes that a tertiary membrane filtration alternative is more feasible than renovating the existing dual granular media filters. Data will be gathered during the Pilot Project to evaluate the performance and feasibility of tertiary membrane filtration, including flux rates, fouling rates and cleaning requirements, membrane feed water quality and temperature, backwash water December 16, 2019 REEP Committee Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 8 of 18 Page 2 of 5 quality, and treated permeate water quality such as turbidity, pH, TDS, UVT, and bacteria and virus removal. A business case evaluation will then be prepared to compare renovation of the existing dual granular media filters with membrane filtration for meeting Central San's Title 22 recycled water quality requirements and demands. Coordinating with Possible Future Needs: As part of the Comprehensive Wastewater Master Plan (CWMP) and recent recycled water planning efforts, Central San has identified dual granular media filtration and tertiary membrane filtration as two possible technologies that could be used in various treatment alternatives to meet existing and future recycled water needs.Additionally, membrane bioreactors (MBR), which use the same membranes for tertiary membrane filtration, were identified as a possible technology to meet both recycled water needs and possible future nutrient reduction needs.An additional benefit of the proposed membrane pilot unit from Fibracast is that it can be operated either as a tertiary membrane filter or as a membrane bioreactor, if required by Central San, following the completion of the proposed tertiary membrane filtration testing. In summary, Central San staff could use this Pilot Project to help inform both existing and future needs: 1. Conduct proof of concept testing that tertiary membrane filtration technologies can treat Central San's existing secondary effluent to produce Title 22 recycled water for meeting treatment plant and Zone 1 recycled water customer needs, and potential future demands for the Concord Community Reuse Project. 2. Complete a business case evaluation comparing new tertiary membrane filtration with plans to renovate the existing dual granular media filters (which includes new underdrains and media, new chemical feed systems, and process optimization).As mentioned previously, the current plans include renovation of existing Filter No. 3 as part of current Filter Plant and Clearwell Improvements Project Phase 1 A starting in FY 2020-21 followed by renovation of the remaining three filters as part of a future Filter Plant and Clearwell Improvements Project Phase 1 B. 3. Since the pilot can also operate in an MBR configuration for nutrient removal, staff could gather water quality and treatment performance data, and Iifecycle cost information for improved business case evaluations of future nutrient removal alternatives. Additionally, staff would be able to better understand membrane system sizing differences for nutrient reduction in the MBR configuration compared to tertiary membrane filtration without nutrient removal. 4. Use the data and results to better inform the viability of membranes as pre-treatment for reverse osmosis, for potential future advanced recycled water opportunities. 5. Use the data and results to assess potential benefits from membrane filtration on reduced disinfection system sizing (e.g. for future sizing of chlorine contact basins anticipated in Filter Plant and Clearwell Improvements Project Phase 1 B, for potential future replacement of the existing ultraviolet disinfection system, and for ultraviolet disinfection for possible future advanced recycled water opportunities). Pilot Project Budget and Financial Impact: The Pilot Project will be funded from the Applied Research and I nnovations Project, D P 7315, and does not require additional budget. The membrane pilot rental agreement with Fibracast is anticipated to be $45,000 (with an optional $30,000 rental extension as described below), and the total estimated budget required to conduct the Pilot Project is approximately$150,000 to $200,000 (including the Fibracast rental agreement). The following Pilot Project costs elements are within staff and General Manager authority limits: • Fibracast Membrane Pilot Rental Agreement: Central San staff is working with Fibracast to December 16, 2019 REEP Committee Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 9 of 18 Page 3 of 5 finalize the Pilot Project scope and budget. The estimated cost for Fibracast to transport the membrane filter, train staff and assist with startup and commissioning, and decommission the filter is $15,000 (i.e. for shipping and labor). I n addition, the fee to rent the pilot system is $5,000 per month and anticipated to cost$30,000 for 180 days, with a total anticipated pilot rental agreement cost of $45,000 (i.e. $15,000 for shipping and labor plus $30,000 for the pilot system rental fee). An optional 180-day extension to rent the pilot system will be included in the agreement and, if requested by Central San, would cost an additional $30,000, with a total potential pilot rental agreement limit of $75,000. • Pilot Installation: The cost to install and connect the membrane filtration pilot system at Central San is expected to be within staff authority limits. Staff will either contract the work through a change order with an existing Central San contractor or, depending on cost and schedule considerations, will bid the work through the Uniform Public Construction Cost Accounting Act (UPCCAA) process. • Consultant On-Call Support: Central San staff will issue task orders through an existing on-call engineering consultant support agreement to provide specialized expertise and assistance for preparing the pilot operating and testing plan, provide quality assurance for data gathering, evaluate pilot performance, and assist with pilot inter-connection, if required. • Staff Support and Testing: Existing Central San staff will manage and conduct the Pilot Project, utilizing vendor and consultant support as described above. Staff will also perform water quality sampling and analyses, and use existing outside laboratory agreements for analyses that cannot be completed by staff. Pilot Project Schedule: The Pilot Project is anticipated to start in January 2020 and operate for up to 180 days (with an optional 180-day extension if requested by Central San). Results from the Pilot Project are anticipated in Spring 2020 to inform Central San staff regarding the feasibility of secondary effluent membrane filtration prior to construction for the Filter Plant and Clearwell I mprovements Project Phase 1 A. Strategic Plan re-In GOAL TWO: Strive to Meet Regulatory Requirements Strategy 1 - Strive to achieve 100%permit compliance in air, water, land, and other regulations GOAL THREE: Be a Fiscally Sound and Effective Water Sector Utility Strategy 1 - Conduct long-range financial planning, Strategy 2- Manage costs GOAL SIX: Embrace Technology, Innovation and Environmental Sustainability Strategy 1 -Augment the region's water supply, Strategy 3- Encourage the review and testing of technology to optimize and modernize business operations ATTACHMENTS: 1. Isometric View of Fibracast Membrane Pilot 2. Photo of Fibracast Membrane Pilot December 16, 2019 REEP Committee Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 10 of 18 Page 4 of 5 Attachment 1 : Isometric View of Fibracast Membrane Pilot 41000 GPQ - MEMPAC-M E-SERIES TREATMENT SYSTEM a h4 4 l>> 4 December 16, 2019 REEP Committee Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 11 of 18 , J , f I _ju I i r/ - • -•�w a�r E J iL �- I 194 ap • J 1 r w