Evaluation of a gravity flow membrane bioreactor for treating municipal wastewater

Traditional wastewater treatment systems are dominated by large, centralized facilities that remove organic matter and nutrients from water. Design engineers size unit processes based on estimated parameters such as flow rates and mass loadings. Once construction is completed, the resulting infrastructure is often too rigid to accommodate changing conditions that may occur in the served area. Hence, demands a higher quality effluent and the need for a more flexible, controllable treatment process have led to the rise of membrane bioreactors (MBRs).