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What to collect for a municipal membrane pilot
Develop a sampling plan and pilot acceptance criteria based on source variability and finished-water targets.
HOSON WATER editorial ·
Collect data across source conditions
Combine a source history with samples that capture normal operation, high turbidity and other known seasonal changes. Record time, sampling point and recent weather or intake operations. Describe upstream oxidation, coagulation or clarification, including how settings vary. A good pilot represents the proposed feed to the membrane train as well as the source itself.
Measure net productivity and cleaning recovery
Track filtrate quality, flow, transmembrane pressure, backwash demand and downtime. Log changes in temperature and pretreatment so the pilot team can distinguish operating effects from a fouling trend. Ask operators to record each clean and how the membrane recovered afterward. Agree on which data can support scale-up and where a longer test would resolve uncertainty.
Tie pilot outputs to procurement
Request a proposed operating flux, pretreatment basis, waste balance and membrane integrity verification plan. Compare these results with project limits and the applicable utility or regulatory requirements. Ask the supplier to state the conditions outside which performance should be reassessed.