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The future is now: chemical-free water treatment
Five Years of reliable chemical-free drinking water treatment with Hollow Fiber Nanofiltration (HFNF) Membranes
The future is now: chemical-free water treatment
As water scarcity continues to rise due to climate change, overuse, and pollution, the future of water supply will increasingly depend on water reuse, polluted surface waters, and desalination. In response, Netherlands-based NX Filtration offers a breakthrough solution, proven globally for years at full scale: low-fouling, low-pressure Hollow Fiber Nanofiltration membranes.
HFNF membranes effectively remove over 95% of organic compounds, microbes, and certain heavy metals with minimal pretreatment, eliminating the need for coagulants or other chemical additives. This chemical-free operation significantly reduces environmental impact and simplifies waste management. Additionally, the technology is energy-efficient, reducing operational costs while maintaining high production capacity.
Reducing CO2 emissions while delivering high-quality water
One of the key strengths of HFNF membranes is their flexibility and scalability. They can be seamlessly integrated into water treatment systems, whether small installations or large municipal projects. HFNF technology simplifies treatment processes and minimizes environmental footprints, contributing to broader sustainability efforts by reducing CO2 emissions while delivering high-quality water.
HFNF membranes have been supplied to the market by NX Filtration since 2019, with the first sizable HFNF-based drinking water plant operating for more than four years. In the meantime, dozens of industrial- and municipal water plants around the world have incorporated HFNF, including notable references such as:
Sapal, Mexico: This project, part of SAPAL’s ERA (Estaciones Regeneradoras de Agua, or Water Regeneration Stations) program, aims to produce drinking water from the Desbaste wastewater treatment plant using an indirect potable reuse (IPR) scheme that incorporates HFNF and advanced oxidation technologies. This water reuse concept is a crucial step to address water scarcity issues in the region. The project will be executed in two phases, each with a capacity of 17 million liters per day (MLD).
Medang Kampai, Indonesia: This new water treatment plant addresses the growing demand for a reliable water supply in the area. The source of the water is the Kemili River, which has a high color load due to humic acids (plant residues). HFNF membranes can treat these types of water optimally, requiring minimal chemical dosing and operating at low pressure, which results in reduced energy consumption. The solution provides high water quality at a total cost of ownership around $0.20 per m³ of water produced, making it very competitive with conventional treatment schemes while achieving significantly better water quality.
HFNF membranes effectively remove over 95% of organic compounds, microbes, and certain heavy metals with minimal pretreatment, eliminating the need for coagulants or other chemical additives. This chemical-free operation significantly reduces environmental impact and simplifies waste management. Additionally, the technology is energy-efficient, reducing operational costs while maintaining high production capacity.
Reducing CO2 emissions while delivering high-quality water
One of the key strengths of HFNF membranes is their flexibility and scalability. They can be seamlessly integrated into water treatment systems, whether small installations or large municipal projects. HFNF technology simplifies treatment processes and minimizes environmental footprints, contributing to broader sustainability efforts by reducing CO2 emissions while delivering high-quality water.
HFNF membranes have been supplied to the market by NX Filtration since 2019, with the first sizable HFNF-based drinking water plant operating for more than four years. In the meantime, dozens of industrial- and municipal water plants around the world have incorporated HFNF, including notable references such as:
Sapal, Mexico: This project, part of SAPAL’s ERA (Estaciones Regeneradoras de Agua, or Water Regeneration Stations) program, aims to produce drinking water from the Desbaste wastewater treatment plant using an indirect potable reuse (IPR) scheme that incorporates HFNF and advanced oxidation technologies. This water reuse concept is a crucial step to address water scarcity issues in the region. The project will be executed in two phases, each with a capacity of 17 million liters per day (MLD).
Medang Kampai, Indonesia: This new water treatment plant addresses the growing demand for a reliable water supply in the area. The source of the water is the Kemili River, which has a high color load due to humic acids (plant residues). HFNF membranes can treat these types of water optimally, requiring minimal chemical dosing and operating at low pressure, which results in reduced energy consumption. The solution provides high water quality at a total cost of ownership around $0.20 per m³ of water produced, making it very competitive with conventional treatment schemes while achieving significantly better water quality.
Two main applications for HFNF stand out: surface water treatment and municipal effluent recycling
Municipal effluent recycling, highly effective concept with HFNF + AOP: NanoX
Combining HFNF with Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOP) creates the NanoX concept — an efficient solution for water reuse from biologically treated effluent. This multi-barrier approach removes over 95% of organic micropollutants (OMPs), making it highly effective for high-quality reuse. The concentrate stream, primarily consisting of COD and BOD, can be recirculated into the biological treatment process without ion build-up, allowing better absorption in the sludge and minimizing water loss.
Chemical-Free Drinking Water from Surface Waters
This water treatment concept is specifically designed for treating eutrophic and polluted surface water containing high levels of natural organic matter and organic micropollutants. It incorporates multiple barriers, including sand filtration, HFNF membranes, activated carbon, and UV disinfection, to achieve clean, safe chemical-free drinking water. This approach effectively removes harmful substances without relying on excessive chemical use, ensuring both environmental sustainability and public health.
The rapid sand filter serves as a physical barrier to trap small particles, while naturally occurring bacteria on the sand help eliminate manganese, ammonium, and other contaminants. Central to this process are the HFNF membranes, which filter water at a molecular level. They effectively remove a wide range of contaminants, including divalent ions, organic micropollutants, harmful bacteria, pesticides, natural organic matter, and colorants. By removing pollutants that would typically require multiple traditional treatment methods, HFNF membranes offer an efficient and eco-friendly alternative to chemical-intensive processes. The waste stream generated is less concentrated than conventional streams, as no monovalent ions are rejected.
Following the HFNF membranes, activated carbon is employed to remove any remaining traces of contaminants. Due to the high-quality feed water, regeneration is required less frequently than once every two years, while PFAS levels are kept extremely low—crucial for ensuring the long-term quality and safety of the water supply. Finally, ultraviolet (UV) light is used for disinfection, providing an additional layer of protection by ensuring the water is free from pathogens and delivering reliable, clean chemical-free drinking water.
By following this integrated chemical-free treatment process — centered on the powerful capabilities of HFNF membranes — eutrophic and polluted surface waters can be transformed into a safe water supply.
Combining HFNF with Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOP) creates the NanoX concept — an efficient solution for water reuse from biologically treated effluent. This multi-barrier approach removes over 95% of organic micropollutants (OMPs), making it highly effective for high-quality reuse. The concentrate stream, primarily consisting of COD and BOD, can be recirculated into the biological treatment process without ion build-up, allowing better absorption in the sludge and minimizing water loss.
Chemical-Free Drinking Water from Surface Waters
This water treatment concept is specifically designed for treating eutrophic and polluted surface water containing high levels of natural organic matter and organic micropollutants. It incorporates multiple barriers, including sand filtration, HFNF membranes, activated carbon, and UV disinfection, to achieve clean, safe chemical-free drinking water. This approach effectively removes harmful substances without relying on excessive chemical use, ensuring both environmental sustainability and public health.
The rapid sand filter serves as a physical barrier to trap small particles, while naturally occurring bacteria on the sand help eliminate manganese, ammonium, and other contaminants. Central to this process are the HFNF membranes, which filter water at a molecular level. They effectively remove a wide range of contaminants, including divalent ions, organic micropollutants, harmful bacteria, pesticides, natural organic matter, and colorants. By removing pollutants that would typically require multiple traditional treatment methods, HFNF membranes offer an efficient and eco-friendly alternative to chemical-intensive processes. The waste stream generated is less concentrated than conventional streams, as no monovalent ions are rejected.
Following the HFNF membranes, activated carbon is employed to remove any remaining traces of contaminants. Due to the high-quality feed water, regeneration is required less frequently than once every two years, while PFAS levels are kept extremely low—crucial for ensuring the long-term quality and safety of the water supply. Finally, ultraviolet (UV) light is used for disinfection, providing an additional layer of protection by ensuring the water is free from pathogens and delivering reliable, clean chemical-free drinking water.
By following this integrated chemical-free treatment process — centered on the powerful capabilities of HFNF membranes — eutrophic and polluted surface waters can be transformed into a safe water supply.
Scaling Up: New Large-Scale Factory for Ultra, Micro-, and Nanofiltration membrane in the Netherlands
In response to the growing global demand for chemical-free water treatment solutions, NX Filtration recently build a large-scale production facility in the Netherlands, opened by Queen Maxima. This state-of-the-art factory significantly increases production capacity, enabling NX Filtration to meet the rising demand for HFNF membranes, and to further scale its operations worldwide.
NX Filtration is also a producer for high-quality hollow fiber PES Ultrafiltration (UF) and Microfiltration (MF) membranes, further broadening its portfolio of key components for efficient water treatment.
Global Impact: Social Technologies for Clean and Affordable Water
NX Filtration’s impact is clear: through dozens of full-scale installations and over 200 demo or pilot projects worldwide, the effectiveness of HFNF technology is being demonstrated in diverse water treatment systems. An advanced online projection tool also supports customers with swift, data-driven analyses, helping to facilitate broader adoption of this revolutionary technology.
NX Filtration is also a producer for high-quality hollow fiber PES Ultrafiltration (UF) and Microfiltration (MF) membranes, further broadening its portfolio of key components for efficient water treatment.
Global Impact: Social Technologies for Clean and Affordable Water
NX Filtration’s impact is clear: through dozens of full-scale installations and over 200 demo or pilot projects worldwide, the effectiveness of HFNF technology is being demonstrated in diverse water treatment systems. An advanced online projection tool also supports customers with swift, data-driven analyses, helping to facilitate broader adoption of this revolutionary technology.
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