Breaking barriers in filtration technology with Filtralite

Cristina Novo, Technical Editor at Smart Water Magazine, opened the session by emphasizing the importance of addressing these challenges. Traditional filtration methods, while widespread, demand extensive infrastructure and incur high maintenance costs, often falling short of efficiency goals. This set the stage for the introduction of Filtralite, an advanced filter media offering a transformative approach to biological filtration.

Filtralite reduces fouling in reverse osmosis (RO) systems by producing biologically stable water, extending the lifespan of RO membranes

The webinar featured two expert speakers who guided attendees through the science, applications, and real-world successes of Filtralite. Mohammed Kastawy, Area Sales Manager for Filtralite in the Middle East and Egypt, opened the webinar with an overview of Filtralite, a lightweight and porous filter media developed by Saint-Gobain. He emphasized its operational savings and superior performance compared to traditional filter media like sand or anthracite. "A traditional filter media typically consists of sand or anthracite, or a combination of the two, forming mono-media or dual-media filters. Filtralite, on the other hand, stands out with its high porosity compared to conventional options. While standard media like sand may need replacement every 4 to 5 years, Filtralite can operate for up to 25 years without replacement, maintaining its quality throughout its lifespan," he explained.

Kastawy highlighted Filtralite’s unique features, such as its highly porous structure, which enables greater sludge retention, reduced head loss, and longer filtration cycles. These advantages lead to lower operating and maintenance costs, supporting filtration rates of up to 20 m/h—much higher than traditional media. He also noted that Filtralite reduces fouling in reverse osmosis (RO) systems by producing biologically stable water, extending the lifespan of RO membranes. Moreover, Filtralite systems require fewer filtration cells, reducing infrastructure and space requirements.

Real-world success stories

Kastawy shared compelling data from real-world applications, demonstrating that Filtralite performs up to 200 times better than traditional media in terms of head loss and sludge management. For instance, its pre-treatment applications in RO systems have consistently outperformed alternatives, offering cost-effective and sustainable solutions for municipal water treatment and industrial wastewater systems.

One of the key points Kastawy emphasized was Filtralite’s ability to significantly reduce operational costs. He shared: "Filtralite provides significant OPEX benefits. Its high porosity reduces the need for backwashes by 2 to 4 times, while also enabling higher filtration velocities, allowing more water to be processed in the same amount of time."

For instance, in Norway’s VEAS treatment plant, Filtralite was instrumental in reducing COD, BOD, and suspended solids, while in Hong Kong’s Tai Po facility, it reduced ammonia by 80-90% and manganese by 75%, significantly cutting the need for chemical interventions.

For drinking water treatment, Norden emphasized Filtralite’s ability to simultaneously remove ammonia, iron, and manganese through biologically-driven processes. Optimal performance depends on sufficient aeration, proper pH levels, and regular backwashing to maintain the catalytic layers essential for manganese removal. He highlighted that in a project in Hong Kong, Filtralite achieved outstanding results while lowering operational costs and improving sustainability.

In addition to Tai Po, Norden shared data from Olofström, Sweden, where Filtralite reduced manganese levels by 90%. These results, coupled with Filtralite’s proven effectiveness in industrial and municipal applications, illustrate its versatility and reliability as a filtration media. Its lightweight composition simplifies transportation and installation, and its durability ensures a lifespan of up to 25 years, minimizing replacement needs and reducing the environmental footprint of water treatment operations.

The session concluded with an engaging Q&A segment where attendees had the opportunity to interact directly with the speakers. Key topics included Filtralite’s role in pre-treatment for desalination, where its ability to reduce biofouling in RO membranes was highlighted. Attendees also asked about its suitability for infiltration galleries in surface water collection and its effectiveness in removing organic micropollutants. A standout question addressed comparisons with granular activated carbon (GAC), with Norden explaining that Filtralite excels in pre-treatment by fostering biofilm growth and protecting downstream systems like GAC and RO membranes.

Norden addressed concerns about clogging and maintenance, emphasizing that Filtralite’s high void volume and efficient backwashing system ensure long-term performance with minimal operational effort. These insights reinforced Filtralite’s value across diverse applications, offering innovative, cost-effective, and sustainable solutions for the global water treatment industry.

The webinar successfully showcased Filtralite’s potential to revolutionize filtration technology. By addressing pressing challenges such as iron and manganese removal, optimizing biological filtration processes, and reducing operational expenses, Filtralite is setting a new standard for efficiency and sustainability in water treatment. As attendees left with actionable insights and inspiration, the event underscored the critical role of innovative technologies in building a more sustainable future for water management.