Work

Membrane water recovery in swimming pools: effectiveness, challenges and development perspectives

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Swimming pools, as vital elements of public infrastructure, are important consumers of water and sources of washings, graywater, and domestic sewage. Maintaining strict hygiene standards while addressing increasing water scarcity and circular economy requirements necessitates advanced water recycling solutions. Although membrane technologies, such as ultrafiltration, are well established in municipal and industrial settings, their extensive deployment and long-term study in recreational facilities remain rare. Few studies offer a holistic perspective that integrates hydraulic performance monitoring with advanced analysis of membrane structure and composition throughout real operational periods. This research addresses this gap by evaluating a full-scale ultrafiltration system in one of Europe's largest indoor water parks. The system uses polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes to treat washings and shower water. The study includes multi-parameter water quality assessments (physicochemical and microbiological), long-term hydraulic monitoring (up to 36 months), and detailed membrane characterization using scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) to analyze fouling mechanisms and deterioration pathways. The results demonstrate substantial reductions in contaminants: chemical oxygen demand (COD) from 111 to 9 mg O 2 /L, biological oxygen demand (BOD) from 26 to 2 mg O 2 /L, turbidity by 95% and total organic carbon (TOC) by more than 90%. Under constant transmembrane pressure (0.75 bar), membrane flux decreased from 15 to 5 m 3 /h over 12 months due to progressive fouling. Analysis revealed stratified sediments, residual coagulants, oxidative membrane changes, and partial defluorination related to chlorine disinfection. These findings highlight the need for optimized operation and cleaning to ensure long-term membrane efficiency and sustainability.

Source: Water Resources and Industry

DOI: 10.1016/j.wri.2026.100364

Authors: Anna Mika, Joanna Wyczarska-Kokot, Anna Lempart-Rapacewicz, Klaudiusz Gołombek

Institutions: Silesian University of Technology, University of Bielsko-Biała

Language: English

Topic: Membrane Separation Technologies

Subfield: Water Science and Technology

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Clean water and sanitation

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,613