Editing Ultrafiltration (section)

=== Drinking water ===
[[Image:Ultrafiltration Grundmühle.jpg|thumb|Drinking water treatment 300&nbsp;m<sup>3</sup>/h using ultrafiltration in Grundmühle waterworks (Germany)]]
Ultrafiltration can be used for the removal of particulates and macromolecules from raw water to produce potable water. It has been used to either replace existing secondary (coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation) and tertiary filtration (sand filtration and chlorination) systems employed in water treatment plants or as standalone systems in isolated regions with growing populations.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Clever|first1=M.|author2=Jordt, F. |author3=Knauf, R. |author4=Räbiger, N. |author5=Rüdebusch, M. |author6= Hilker-Scheibel, R. |title=Process water production from river water by ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis|journal=Desalination|date=1 December 2000|volume=131|issue=1–3|pages=325–336|doi=10.1016/S0011-9164(00)90031-6|bibcode=2000Desal.131..325C }}</ref> When treating water with high suspended solids, UF is often integrated into the process, utilising primary (screening, flotation, filtration) and some secondary treatments as pre-treatment stages.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Laîné|first=J.-M.|author2=Vial, D. |author3=Moulart, Pierre |title=Status after 10 years of operation — overview of UF technology today|journal=Desalination|date=1 December 2000|volume=131|issue=1–3|pages=17–25|doi=10.1016/S0011-9164(00)90002-X|bibcode=2000Desal.131...17L }}</ref> UF processes are currently preferred over traditional treatment methods for the following reasons:<br />
:*No chemicals required (aside from cleaning)
:*Constant product quality regardless of feed quality
:*Compact plant size
:*Capable of exceeding regulatory standards of water quality, achieving 90–100% pathogen removal<ref>{{cite book|author=American Water Works Association Research Foundation ... Ed. group Joël Mallevialle|title=Water treatment membrane processes|year=1996|publisher=McGraw Hill|location=New York [u.a.]|isbn=9780070015593}}</ref>
UF processes are currently limited by the high cost incurred due to membrane fouling and replacement.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Edwards|first1=David|author2=Donn, Alasdair |author3=Meadowcroft, Charlotte |title=Membrane solution to a "significant risk" Cryptosporidium groundwater source|journal=Desalination|date=1 May 2001|volume=137|issue=1–3|pages=193–198|doi=10.1016/S0011-9164(01)00218-1|bibcode=2001Desal.137..193E }}</ref> Additional pretreatment of feed water is required to prevent excessive damage to the membrane units.

In many cases UF is used for pre filtration in [[reverse osmosis]] (RO) plants to protect the RO membranes.{{cn|date=September 2023}}