The microfiltres were installed for the first time in England in 1945. In the next following years, microfiltres were operated also in the other technically advanced countries of Europe, in the U.S.A., Australia, Asia, and Africa. Implementation of pretreatment of water by microfiltration, the performance of water treatment has increased in those countries, with simultaneous improvement of the quality of drinking water.
In Slovakia, the issue of operating microfiltration in pretreatment of water started to be resolved in the sixties of the last century in Strazske and in Hrinova, in the water treatment station in Kucin, where water from the river Ondava is treated. However, capacity of the installation was incorrect and it was only little exploited.
In the treatment station in Hrinova, monitoring of pretreatment of water by microfiltration started again in 1983 within the task of technical development named "Pretreatment of water by Microfiltration". The semioperational testing microfilter had a drum with diameter 3000 mm and width 300 mm, with a metal exchangeable microfiltering filler on the external surface and the holes of 50, 35 and 20 µm, with artificial fabrics PES with holes of 70 - 90 µm, and the fabrics UHELON with the holes of 30 - 40 µm. The highest performance of the microfilter was recorded in using a metal filtering filler with the holes of 20 µm. The effect of separation cyanophyta and algae was on average 72.8% and maximum 93.8%.
Generally, it may be said that such semioperational testing of microfiltration in pretreatment of water has confirmed that it is suitable for use during water treatment. However, the efficiency of microfiltration depends on several parametres, the most important of which are presence of various types of water organisms, and coherence and size of insoluble substances.
The microfiltration, as an important technologic degree in treatment of ground waters, is underestimated not only in Slovakia, but also in our closest neighboring country - Bohemia. After a several year break, renewed interest in microfiltration in pretreatment of water emerged in Slovakia. In this respect, the firm Hydrotechnologia Bratislava has contacts with Centre International de ?eau, which prefers microfiltration in pretreatment of water. Contacts are maintained also with the firm IN-EKO, s r.o., Brno, which has currently available a good quality equipment for microfiltration. These microfiltres are highly effective.
Solution of the problem with microfilration in water treatment is urgent also from the health, hygienic and water management aspect. Exploitation of microfiltration for mechanic separation of unwanted organisms and insoluble substances is the most appropriate process from the aspect of health of consumers of drinking water, as it does not requite any chemicals to be added to the treated water, and it separates such organism and also substances which directly endanger people and animals.
Author: V. ONDERIKOVA - In: Vodohospodarsky spravodajca (Water Management Journal) - Year 43, No. 6(2000), p. 12-13.
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