Landfill Leachate DTRO Membrane Replacement – 16 Ton/Day Output with 4 Units of 6-Inch Modules
Project Overview
A municipal landfill leachate treatment facility was experiencing declining permeate output and increasing operating pressure due to aged DTRO membrane modules. The original system could no longer maintain the designed capacity, resulting in leachate accumulation and compliance risks.
Torvexus was engaged to supply replacement DTRO membrane modules and provide technical support for the membrane swap. The goal was to restore — and ideally exceed — the original design capacity without modifying the existing system framework.
Challenges
- High-concentration landfill leachate with COD > 5,000 mg/L and ammonia nitrogen > 1,500 mg/L
- Aged membrane modules causing severe flux decline and frequent shutdowns
- Limited downtime window — the plant needed to resume operation within 48 hours
- Strict discharge standards requiring stable permeate quality
Solution
Torvexus supplied 4 units of 6-inch DTRO membrane modules as direct replacements for the existing aged modules. The disc tube reverse osmosis (DTRO) technology is specifically designed for high-salinity, high-fouling feed water such as landfill leachate.
Key Specifications
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Membrane Module | 6-inch DTRO Module × 4 units |
| Permeate Output | 16 ton/day (full capacity) |
| Feed Water | Landfill leachate (pre-treated) |
| Feed COD | > 5,000 mg/L |
| Recovery Rate | ~75% |
| Installation Time | < 24 hours |
Results
After the membrane replacement, the system was restarted and the permeate flow rate immediately reached the full design capacity of 16 ton/day — a significant improvement over the degraded output of the old modules.
- Permeate output: 16 ton/day — hit maximum capacity on first run
- Permeate quality: COD < 100 mg/L, meeting Class A discharge standards
- Operating pressure: Reduced by approximately 15% compared to the old modules
- Downtime: Less than 24 hours for complete module replacement
Why DTRO for Landfill Leachate?
Disc Tube Reverse Osmosis (DTRO) is the preferred membrane technology for landfill leachate treatment due to its unique open-channel design:
- Anti-fouling: The disc-and-tube structure creates turbulent flow, minimizing membrane fouling from high-suspended-solids feed water
- High rejection: Effectively removes COD, BOD, ammonia, heavy metals, and dissolved salts
- Easy maintenance: Individual disc membranes can be replaced without dismantling the entire module
- Compact footprint: Ideal for retrofit and space-constrained landfill sites
Conclusion
This project demonstrates that a straightforward DTRO membrane replacement can fully restore — and even optimize — system performance without costly infrastructure modifications. Torvexus 6-inch DTRO modules delivered immediate results, achieving 16 ton/day permeate output from just 4 units.
For landfill operators facing declining membrane performance, Torvexus offers drop-in replacement modules with guaranteed compatibility and performance.
