Membrane Bio Reactors (MBR)

System Overview

Engineered for Maximum Purity

Membrane Bioreactors (MBR) represent the pinnacle of modern wastewater treatment. By completely replacing conventional settling clarifiers with advanced microfiltration or ultrafiltration membranes, MBR systems decouple the hydraulic retention time (HRT) from the solids retention time (SRT).

Eco Serve India’s MBR systems deliver exceptionally high-quality effluent with near-zero suspended solids and significantly reduced pathogen counts. This makes the treated water perfectly suited for direct reuse in industrial processes, urban irrigation, or as direct feed for Reverse Osmosis (RO) plants.

High-Performance Advantages

Our MBR systems are engineered to solve the most complex space and effluent quality challenges faced by rapidly growing industries and municipal bodies.

Submerged Filtration

High-flux flat sheet or hollow fiber membranes are placed directly inside the active biological aeration tank.

Absolute Clarification

Microscopic pore sizes (<0.5 µm) physically eliminate suspended solids, ensuring crystal clear effluent.

Compact Footprint

Operates at high MLSS concentrations, eliminating the need for bulky clarifiers and saving up to 50% space.

Sludge Reduction

Extended sludge age capabilities minimize waste sludge generation, drastically cutting disposal and handling costs.

The MBR Process Flow

The MBR process merges biological degradation with physical membrane barriers, ensuring that no untreated solids escape into the final effluent.

Stage 1: Fine Pre-Screening

Raw wastewater passes through an ultra-fine screen (typically 1-2mm). This is a critical step to remove hair, fibrous debris, and abrasive particles that could potentially damage the sensitive membrane surfaces.

Stage 2: Biological Aeration

Inside the bioreactor, submersible aerators supply oxygen to highly concentrated microbial cultures (MLSS 8,000-12,000 mg/L). These bacteria rapidly consume dissolved organics (BOD/COD) and convert ammonia into nitrates.

Stage 3: Submerged Membrane Filtration

Specialized permeate pumps apply a slight, continuous vacuum. Water is drawn through the microscopic pores of the submerged membranes, while all biomass, bacteria, and suspended solids are completely rejected and retained in the tank.

Stage 4: Scouring & Maintenance

To prevent the membranes from fouling, continuous coarse air bubbling is applied from beneath the modules to scrub the surface. This is supplemented by automated chemical Clean-In-Place (CIP) protocols to maintain peak flux.

Technical Specifications

Our MBR systems utilize the world's leading membrane modules, coupled with our proprietary automation logic to maximize membrane life and output quality.

Treatment Capacity

10 KLD to 10+ MLD (Modular configurations)

Membrane Configurations

Hollow Fiber (PVDF) or Flat Sheet (PTFE / PES)

Nominal Pore Size

Microfiltration (0.1 - 0.4 µm) or Ultrafiltration (<0.1 µm)

Operating MLSS Range

8,000 to 12,000 mg/L (High biomass concentration)

Typical Effluent Quality

TSS < 1 mg/L, Turbidity < 0.5 NTU, BOD < 5 mg/L

Cleaning Protocols

Automated Air Scouring, Back-pulsing, and Chemical CIP (Hypochlorite/Citric Acid)

Pharmaceuticals

Textile & Dyeing

Commercial Complexes

Food & Beverage

Municipal Utilities

Frequently Asked Questions

Why choose MBR over conventional activated sludge (CAS)?

MBR completely eliminates the need for bulky secondary settling clarifiers, saving up to 50% of the plant's physical footprint. Furthermore, because it uses a physical barrier (the membrane) rather than gravity settling, it produces far superior, crystal-clear water with virtually no suspended solids, making it ideal for immediate industrial reuse or RO feed.

How often do the membranes need to be replaced?

Membrane lifespan relies heavily on proper operational protocols. With adequate fine pre-screening (to prevent debris damage), continuous air scouring, and scheduled chemical clean-in-place (CIP) maintenance, high-quality industrial MBR membranes typically last between 5 to 7 years before requiring module replacement.

Can MBR handle high-strength industrial wastewater?

Yes, exceptionally well. Because the membranes retain all bacteria, MBRs can operate at a very high biomass concentration (MLSS of 8,000-12,000 mg/L compared to 3,000 mg/L in standard plants). This dense population of specialized microorganisms allows the system to efficiently break down high-strength organic and complex chemical loads that would otherwise overwhelm traditional systems.

What is the operational power consumption like?

Operating an MBR requires slightly higher energy consumption compared to basic gravity-settling plants, primarily due to the continuous membrane air scouring and vacuum suction pumps. However, this is largely offset by the drastic savings in space, reduced chemical usage, lower sludge disposal costs, and the high economic value of the ultra-pure reusable water generated.

Ready to upgrade to Ultra-Filtration?

Discuss your effluent parameters and space constraints with our environmental engineers to design a custom MBR solution.