Mobile water treatment systems

Two Pall mobile military water treatment systems, supplied to the Australian Army as part of a fleet of 18 systems, have been deployed as part of Operation Padang Assist, the Australian government’s humanitarian response to the recent earthquakes in Indonesia. Two water points established by the Australian Department of Defence on the beach of Padang are using the Pall-designed and -manufactured systems to convert seawater into potable water for up to 75,000 households. The water filtration systems are mobile, self-contained and can be transported by air, sea or land.

Earthquakes that hit Padang, the capital city of West Sumatra in Indonesia, on 30 September caused severe damage to a water supply station that provided 60% of the city’s water. Running water has not been available in the poorest regions of the city since the earthquake, forcing people to draw water from canals and rivers.

The diesel-powered equipment, which is now aiding in the relief efforts, is capable of providing drinking quality water from almost any water source within about an hour. The equipment comprises complete, automated, Pall Aria integrated microfiltration/reverse osmosis membrane systems. Using hollow fibre membrane technology, the mobile systems transform sea, brackish or surface water into water that is free from harmful bacteria, cysts and particles. Up to 400,000 litres of potable water per day can be produced by each membrane system for either drinking or industrial use depending on the water source.

“The relief effort in Padang illustrates the system’s ability to produce clean water virtually anywhere using any feed source,” said Jim Western, President, Pall Aerospace & Transportation.

Pall’s integrated membrane system (IMS) requires minimal manpower for operation and maintenance. It also significantly reduces the use of consumables such as cleaning chemicals, scale inhibitors and cartridge filters. The IMS is suitable for use by fixed base and mobile troop units and for shipboard applications. Alternatively, Pall microfiltration systems may be housed in trailers or large containers to enable municipalities to boost water production on a permanent or temporary basis.

Pall, together with its long-term global partner Asahi Kasei, provides water treatment systems for large and small municipalities and industrial customers worldwide. The filtration technology is increasingly becoming a critical step in treating water for a wide range of applications. This includes intake and process water for food, beverage, chemical, oil, gas, power and semiconductor production, among others. Pall’s technology enables businesses to conserve and re-use water, and to restore wastewater to environmentally safe levels before discharge.