Evaluation of Ultra-Filtration Technique in Water Purification Compared to Conventional Techniques in Egypt

This paper evaluates Ultrafiltration (UF) technology for drinking water purification against conventional methods, using data from two plants in Qena, Upper Egypt: Nagaa Hamadi WPP (conventional) and Farshut WPP (UF). Both utilize the Nile River, ensuring a consistent comparison. Key parameters such as capital expenditure (CAPEX), Operational Expenditure (OPEX), water quality, water losses, and environmental impact were examined. The aim is to provide Egyptian stakeholders with insights into UF technology’s cost-effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability. Farshut WPP uses 48.57% less land than Nagaa Hamadi WPP and has construction costs only 5.72% higher. However, its operational cost is 1.11 times higher, at 0.8361 E£/m³ compared to 0.749314 E£/m³ at Nagaa Hamadi WPP. Chemical costs for UF are significantly higher, at 406.72% of conventional filtration costs. Despite these higher costs, Farshut WPP uses less electricity (0.36 kW/m³ versus 0.43 kW/m³) and produces higher-quality water with lower turbidity (0.01 NTU versus 0.23 NTU). The findings suggest that UF technology offers improved water quality and lower long-term operational costs despite higher initial and chemical costs. The paper recommends adopting UF technology in Upper Egypt’s water infrastructure.