Membrane BioReactors have revolutionized the way we treat our wastewater. They bring together biological treatment with ultrafiltration in a compact process with a high quality product. They have two draw-backs. First they consume more energy than conventional wastewater treatment facilities, and second they are very messy – especially if you have to fix a broken membrane.
Norit’s Airlift™ MBR addresses both these issues with genius.

The wastewater is on the inside rather than the outside of the tubular Norit X-Flow membranes providing a cleaner working environment for treatment plant staff. Furthermore the pressure pushing the permeate through the membranes does not come from pumps. It comes from air-bubbles, giving an energy consumption rate of less than 0.25 kWh/m3. This technology, which gives high quality product water without leaving a large carbon footprint, could represent a major step forward in the growth of the water reuse market.

Source: Global Water Awards 2007, GWI