Ultrafiltration of lake water for potable water production

Ultrafiltration with coagulation or powdered activated carbon pretreatment is used to treat water from a public water supply. While UF without pretreatment is effective in removing turbidity, pretreatment prior to UF greatly enhances the removal of natural organic matter and trihalomethane precursors. Short-term flux loss can be minimized with backflushing, while long-term irreversible fouling seems to be affected most by the type of membrane polymer.