Innovative Water Treatment
The following innovative water treatment processes have been successfully demonstrated in water treatment applications.
Forward osmosis – A nonpressurized treatment technology that uses a semipermeable membrane to separate water
from dissolved solutes. The semipermeable membrane acts as a barrier, allowing water to pass through but blocking larger molecules such as
starches, sugars, salts, proteins, and bacteria.
Bank filtration – A treatment technique that involves filtering water from streams, rivers, or lakes through the
natural banks of the water body. Suspended solids, bacteria, and other contaminants are removed or attenuated by this process.
Freeze–Thaw/evaporation (FTE®) – A treatment process that provides the opportunity for cost-effective treatment
of brackish or contaminated water, wastewater, or produced water. Feedwater is subjected to outdoor subfreezing conditions (<32°F). Freezing water
creates a matrix of water molecules, excluding contaminants that do not fit into the crystal matrix. The contaminants are subsequently concentrated
into brine, which is drained from the ice to a separate pond. Meltwater from the ice pile is of relatively high quality and suitable for reuse.
