Microfiltration and ultrafiltration membranes for drinking water

The use of microfiltration (MF) and ultrafiltration (UF) in water treatment applications continues to expand, both in terms of capacity and number of installations. The upper benchmark for the size of membrane facilities is expected to continue to get larger. In addition, the recent Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule and its associated Membrane Filtration Guidance Manual, representing the first federal regulatory framework that directly addresses membrane filtration, is anticipated to result in increasing standardization of diverse state primacy agency policies for regulating MF/UF. In light of these advances, a comprehensive MF/UF resource for the water treatment industry had become imperative. In 2005, the first edition of AWWA Manual of Water Supply Practices M53, Microfiltration and Ultrafiltration Membranes for Drinking Water, was published. This article provides a concise and abbreviated summary of M53 to serve as a quick point of reference.