A Comparative Study on the Water Quality of Khairabad and Maroon Rivers and the Role of Membrane Filtration in Their Treatment

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Behbahan Khatam Alanbia University of Technology, Behbahan, Iran

2 Faculty of Engineering, Behbahan Khatam Alanbia University of Technology, Behbahan, Iran

3 Department of Environmental Engineering, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz Branch, Ahvaz, Iran

4 Khuzestan Water and Wastewater Company, Drinking Water Treatment Plant – Quality and Process Control Unit, Behbahan, Iran

Abstract

This study presents a rigorous evaluation of the efficacy of membrane filtration as an advanced technology for producing drinking water from two distinct water sources. The investigation began with a comprehensive comparative analysis of the physicochemical and biological parameters of raw water from the Khairabad and Maroon rivers. This baseline assessment revealed a significant disparity in mineral content, with the Maroon River exhibiting a substantially higher Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) concentration of 1393 mg/L compared to the Khairabad River's 739 mg/L. Subsequently, the performance of the membrane filtration process was assessed for both water types. The results demonstrated the notable consistency of this technology. The system effectively reduced turbidity to below 0.7 NTU and consistently maintained a Silt Density Index (SDI) below 0.03, indicating superior particulate removal and low fouling potential. A key advantage observed was the membrane's selective removal capability, which successfully eliminated undesirable particulates and microbial load while preserving the fundamental chemical composition and beneficial minerals of the water. A comparative evaluation of membrane cleaning mechanisms further revealed that backwashing was significantly more effective than air scouring. The backwashing protocol achieved a remarkable recovery of over 94% of the initial membrane flux, underscoring its superiority in maintaining long-term operational efficiency. Microbiologically, membrane filtration was successful in removing a major portion of the microbial load. Utilizing this method as a complementary pre-treatment stage prior to chlorination can be an optimal strategy that removes the bulk of contaminants, subsequently requiring only a low dose of disinfectant to provide a residual protective effect throughout the distribution network.

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Applied Chemistry Today
Volume 21, Issue 78
May 2026
Pages 91-110

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