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Control microbial risks in effluent water reuse with BactoSense CORE

  • Writer: bNovate
    bNovate
  • Apr 15
  • 3 min read

Updated: May 8




Can sustainability meet water quality standards?


Water reuse is becoming a key sustainability strategy for industries with high water demand, especially in biopharmaceutical manufacturing.


A leading biopharma company partnered with Ekopak, a solution provider for mobile water reuse systems, to explore the feasibility of treating and reusing its effluent water to meet drinking water standards with the following objectives:


  1. Assessment of microbial water quality at multiple treatment stages.


  2. Analysis of the impact of operational parameters on microbiological processes.


  3. Identification of critical control points to optimise system performance.

  4. Provision of a data-driven foundation for large-scale implementations.



Pilot setup


Ekopak deployed a modular pilot system, integrating ultrafiltration (UF), two-stage reverse osmosis (RO), and BactoSense CORE for automated microbial monitoring at four points.

The system was housed in a unit enabled with SCADA-based remote monitoring and multiple sampling points for detailed water quality analysis.


BactoSense enabled rapid detection of total cell counts (TCC) in just 20 minutes, providing operators with real-time microbial insights to optimise treatment performance.


Structural overview of the pilot module for water reuse treatment
Figure 1: Structural overview of the pilot module for water reuse treatment, integrating BactoSense CORE. RO, reverse osmosis, UF, ultrafiltration.

The role of BactoSense in the water reuse pilot system


BactoSense was used to evaluate the effectiveness of UF, prefiltration, and RO by measuring bacterial log reduction at each treatment stage. The pilot also investigated key factors influencing bacterial levels, including feed pressure, flow rate, stagnation and descaling.



KEY FINDINGS


1. Membrane filtration and microbial regrowth influence the overall microbiological profile


Continuous monitoring with BactoSense enabled early detection of microbial hotspots in RO prefilters and storage tanks, allowing immediate corrective actions, such as prefilter replacements.



Figure 2: Total cell counts along the water reuse treatment train. RO, reverse osmosis, UF, ultrafiltration.
Figure 2: Total cell counts along the water reuse treatment train. RO, reverse osmosis, UF, ultrafiltration.


2. The duration of stagnation drives biofouling and impacts final water quality


Short-term stagnation led to temporary TCC surges in RO permeate, while long-term stagnation caused persistent deterioration in water quality, requiring additional flushing steps.



Figure 3: RO permeate cell counts took up to 1.5 days to return to normal. RO, reverse osmosis. TCC, total cell counts.
Figure 3: RO permeate cell counts took up to 1.5 days to return to normal. RO, reverse osmosis. TCC, total cell counts.


3. Membrane scaling reduces permeate flow rate and increases bacterial concentrations


Without antiscalant dosing, permeate flow declined, and BactoSense immediately detected a rise in TCC, underscoring the need for proactive scaling prevention.


Figure 4: Graph showing RO flow rate and TCC variations over time. RO, reverse osmosis. TCC, total cell counts.
Figure 4: Graph showing RO flow rate and TCC variations over time. RO, reverse osmosis. TCC, total cell counts.


4. Optimising operational parameters enhances membrane filtrate quality


Minor feed pressure adjustments drastically affect microbiological quality in permeate, highlighting the necessity for precise operational controls and real-time monitoring to optimise membrane performance.


Figure 5: Graph illustrating the impact of feed pressure on total cell counts (TCC).
Figure 5: Graph illustrating the impact of feed pressure on total cell counts (TCC).


KEY BENEFITS



  1. Immediate microbiological insights: BactoSense enabled operators to quickly understand the proposed solution's microbiological performance in real time.


  2. Comprehensive microbiological overview: initial grab sampling provided a complete microbiological profile of the treatment train, including membrane performance and microbial regrowth in prefilters and pipes.


  3. Real-time monitoring: online monitoring installations allowed for continuous tracking of microbial dynamics, providing ongoing insights into membrane filtration unit performance.


  4. Filtration performance management: data from BactoSense helped assess the impact of prefilter maintenance, stagnation, scaling, and operational parameter adjustments on water quality.


  5. Proactive membrane management: enabled precise monitoring of microbial trends, facilitating timely interventions to maintain optimal system performance and water quality.


"Pilot testing is of utmost importance to us. By integrating BactoSense as a monitoring system, we gain rapid insights into microbiological performance, enabling us to make informed, data-driven decisions with confidence.

Benjamin Buysschaert, Manager R&D, Ekopak

"We are very happy to have been able to contribute to the success of this pilot with comprehensive and actionable microbiological data. The collaboration with Ekopak was superb and allowed us to experience firsthand how much value such containerised pilot installations bring to clients."

Silvan Kaufmann, Solutions Programme Manager, bNovate Technologies




Book a demo today to explore how BactoSense CORE can make sustainability and water quality standards meet.



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