Removal of Manganese by Microfiltration in a Water Treatment

Bench experiments and pilot studies were conducted in Monroe, Georgia, USA to investigate the alternatives for removal of manganese when microfiltration was used instead of media filtration. Comparative studies were conducted with a variety of oxidants, including: chlorine, chlorine dioxide, permanganate and hydrogen peroxide. Bench-scale jar testing indicated that chlorine dioxide was the most effective oxidant, resulting in adequate removal of the manganese with less than twenty minutes of reaction time. Pilot-scale microfiltration experiments indicated that 99% of the manganese was removed when 0.5 mg/L of chlorine dioxide was dosed using a twenty-minute reaction time. As the result of these studies, a full-scale microfiltration plant expansion (10-MGD) is being designed to replace the conventional water treatment in Monroe. This plant will be first application of microfiltration membranes for municipal water treatment in Georgia