CASE STUDY: RO SYSTEM MODIFICATION AND TDS REDUCTION

Another industrial client was facing high TDS levels in their Reverse Osmosis (RO) system, causing reduced permeate recovery, frequent membrane fouling, and increased operational cost.

Despite continuous chemical treatment, the system showed limited improvement, prompting the client to engage HNJ Hydro Chem for a technical audit and solution.

1. High TDS in RO feed water leads to membrane fouling.
    
2. Frequent chemical cleaning and downtime.
    
3. Increased blowdown and water wastage.
    
4. Declining RO efficiency and high conductivity in permeate.

After a detailed system inspection, HNJ Hydro Chem recommended mechanical and chemical modifications to enhance RO performance and reduce TDS levels:

• Installation of a back filter before the RO unit to capture suspended solids.
   
• Thorough chemical cleaning of the RO membranes to remove scaling and fouling.
   
• Optimization of the antiscalant program using HNJ’s high-performance RO antiscalant designed for high-TDS applications.
   
• Adjustment of RO operating parameters (pressure, recovery ratio, and pH) for improved water recovery.

• Conducted complete RO cleaning and flushing using specialized cleaning agents.
   
• Installed a backwashable filter to protect membranes from upstream contamination.
   
• Dosed HNJ’s advanced RO antiscalant at optimized concentrations.
   
• Monitored TDS, conductivity, and differential pressure regularly after modification.

After implementing HNJ Hydro Chem’s solution, the client achieved significant improvements across all key operational parameters. The feed water TDS, which was previously high and unstable, became controlled and consistently reduced, resulting in a more stable operation. The permeate TDS improved from exceeding the acceptable limit to within the desired quality range, ensuring a higher-quality product water.

The system recovery rate increased notably from 65–70% to 80–85%, resulting in a higher yield of treated water. Additionally, the cleaning frequency was extended from every 2–3 weeks to every 2–3 months, effectively prolonging membrane life. Overall, these enhancements led to a 20–25% reduction in operational cost and a more efficient, reliable, and cost-effective RO system.

Through RO modification, back filtration, and chemical optimization, HNJ Hydro Chem successfully:

• Reduced TDS levels in both feed and permeate water.
   
• Improved RO recovery efficiency by up to 15%.
   
• Extended membrane lifespan and reduced cleaning frequency.
   
• Lowered operational and maintenance costs significantly. 

Cleaner water, lower cost, and a more efficient RO system engineered by HNJ Hydro Chem.