Using Membranes to Meet Drinking Water Standards in Revamped Water Treatment Plant

Aria FLEX™ Custom Systems Case Study | Cottage Grove, OR

The challenge

In 1996, city officials in Cottage Grove were tasked with renovating the Row River Water Treatment Plant. City officials needed a treatment method capable of meeting drinking water standards that could also handle Cottage Grove’s unique capacity requirements, where water use frequently triples during the summer months. Additionally, facility operators needed a treatment method that they could trust, as 24/7 monitoring of the water supply and treatment were paramount.

The solution

Prior to the retrofit, Row River Water Treatment Plant had previously employed processional granular media filtration—a more conventional treatment method. Facility operators invested in the Aria FLEX membrane system, utilizing the advanced pressurized filtration membranes to successfully meet drinking water standards. This system was selected in large part due to its ability to fit a wide range of capacities, meeting the new treatment and flowrate demands.

The results

Following the implementation of Aria FLEX, Row River Water Treatment Plant’s new gravity feed intake system met feed demand as it transitioned from its previous capacity of 2 million gallons per day (mgd) to its current capacity at 4 mgd. Ultimately, it will produce 8 mgd at full buildout. The system’s flexibility allows Row River Water Treatment Plant to operate at increased capacity during peak demand.

“While there was some initial reluctance from operators when we transitioned from our traditional, manually operated water treatment plant to the SCADA-controlled Aria FLEX system, this quickly changed. After having some experience with the system, you couldn't get the operators to change back for anything; they love it. They especially like that they do not have to repair any broken fibers, ever!”