French Client Orders SFD-2880 High-Flux UF Membrane Module with 77 m² Area and 0.03 μm Pore Diameter
November 11, 2026
Project Overview
A French drinking water operator selected the SFD-2880 high-flux UF membrane module, featuring 77 m² of membrane area per module and a 0.03 μm pore diameter, to reinforce the multi-barrier treatment train at a surface-water supply plant. The objective was straightforward: secure a verifiable pathogen barrier while increasing treated output inside an existing building envelope.
Customer Background and Project Challenge
The plant draws from surface water whose turbidity and microbiological load vary significantly with rainfall and season. The existing treatment line relied on coagulation, settling and sand filtration, followed by chlorination. Three pressures forced an upgrade:
- Regulatory tightening. French and EU drinking water requirements demand a demonstrable, measurable barrier against protozoan pathogens such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia, which chlorination alone does not reliably address.
- Capacity headroom. Seasonal demand peaks meant the plant needed higher treated flow without a new building or additional civil works.
- Operational simplicity. The operator wanted a membrane stage that its existing shift team could run with standard backwash and cleaning procedures, not a new specialism.
Selected Module Configuration
| Item | Specification | Value to the plant |
|---|---|---|
| Model | SFD-2880 UF membrane module | Field-proven platform for municipal drinking water |
| Membrane area | 77 m² per module | Fewer modules per skid for the same design flow |
| Pore diameter | 0.03 μm | Absolute-class physical barrier against pathogens and turbidity |
| Flux class | High-flux design | More permeate per unit area at moderate transmembrane pressure |
| Operating mode | Dead-end filtration with backwash and chemically enhanced backwash | Stable output with routine, low-skill operation |
Why 77 m² Per Module Changes the Economics
The decision to standardise on the SFD-2880 with 77 m² of membrane area was driven by whole-life economics rather than unit price. Membrane area per module directly determines how many modules, headers, valves and instruments a skid requires:
- Fewer modules, smaller skid. Higher area per module reduces module count for a given design flow, which shrinks the rack footprint — decisive when the module train has to fit inside an existing plant room.
- Lower balance-of-plant cost. Fewer modules means fewer isolation valves, less piping, fewer pressure taps and less instrumentation to purchase, install and maintain.
- High-flux operation. The high-flux membrane design sustains design output at moderate transmembrane pressure, keeping pumping energy and fouling rate in check.
- 0.03 μm integrity barrier. The tight pore diameter delivers the pathogen log-removal credit the operator needed, turning ultrafiltration into a defensible barrier in the treatment train.
Commissioning and Operating Outcomes
| Parameter | Outcome after commissioning |
|---|---|
| Permeate turbidity | Held consistently low, providing a stable barrier upstream of final disinfection |
| Pathogen barrier | 0.03 μm pore diameter credited as a physical barrier against protozoa and bacteria |
| Footprint | Module train installed within the existing building envelope, no civil expansion |
| Capacity | Design flow achieved with a reduced module count thanks to 77 m² per module |
| Operation | Backwash and CEB managed by existing shift staff with standard procedures |
| Flux stability | Maintained across seasonal turbidity swings under the defined cleaning regime |
Client Feedback
"The 77 m² modules let us hit the design flow with a smaller skid than we had budgeted for, and the 0.03 μm barrier is exactly the compliance argument we needed with the authority."
Conclusion
For municipal drinking water upgrades, the SFD-2880 high-flux UF membrane module with 77 m² membrane area and 0.03 μm pore diameter pairs a credible pathogen barrier with a footprint and balance-of-plant advantage that is easy to justify at capital-approval stage. This French installation illustrates a useful rule: in ultrafiltration, membrane area per module is not a detail — it is the lever that controls skid size, valve count and total installed cost.
Planning a drinking water or surface water upgrade? Send us your raw water analysis, target flow and available plant-room dimensions, and we will propose a module count and cleaning strategy that fits your building as well as your budget.