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Protecting Membrane Filters in Rural WTW Sites
Project Overview
A rural Water Treatment Works (WTW) site in the southwest faced serious challenges when pine needles infiltrated the Raw Water Intake (RWI) system, threatening the membrane filters essential to water quality. With RSE’s limited presence in the region, the project offered an opportunity to demonstrate our Operations & Maintenance (O&M) team’s ability to address critical issues under tight timelines, ensuring continued service to local communities.
Project Objectives
The project involved replacing failed bag filters with automated filtration systems to prevent further risks to the membrane filters. With initial site assessments in July 2024, the client requested installation by the autumn, ahead of pine needle season roughly occurring between September to November. The key objective was to complete the installation without disrupting the water supply.
Solution Implemented
RSE selected BollFilter units for their reliability and automated backwash functionality within the limited footprint available on site. These systems were designed with adjustable backflush setpoints and a filtered bypass feature to ensure smooth operation. To speed up the installation, piping, skids, and ancillary items were prefabricated at RSE’s state-of-the-art Muir of Ord facility.
Temporary bypass filtration was used to maintain a continuous water supply during installation, eliminating the need for tankering. The installation was planned for back-to-back weeks to maximise efficiency across both sites.
Challenges & Solutions
The project faced a tight timeline, with the installation required by autumn. Last-minute schedule adjustments and site-specific issues arose, but RSE’s mechanical team located in Cumbernauld provided the install of flow-controlling diaphragm valves to the backwash lines when it became apparent the orifices supplied by BollFilter were passing 4-5x the flow anticipated. This resulted in less than 24 hours of delay to commissioning. Collaboration between RSE’s mechanical, electrical, and commissioning teams ensured smooth coordination and minimal disruption, and the temporary filtration systems played a key role in maintaining service continuity.
Outcome
The O&M team successfully installed and commissioned the automated filtration system, ensuring the water supply remained uninterrupted during the process. The project was completed on schedule, meeting the project objectives and demonstrating RSE’s ability to collaborate effectively with the client to deliver practical solutions in a region where RSE has a limited presence.