Case Study New South Wales PFAS Remediation Plant – Onterris

BHF responded with a fully engineered, factory-tested UF package built specifically around Onterris’ redundancy and integration requirements:

• Double-rack UF design – Two independent process trains of 10 Scinor PUFS-P80 modules each, allowing the plant to keep producing water at reduced capacity while either rack is isolated for maintenance or CIP, satisfying the site’s continuous-operation requirement.
• Robust, NSF-rated membranes – Scinor’s PVDF hollow-fibre membranes, manufactured using the TIPS method, provided the mechanical strength and chemical tolerance needed to handle the site’s iron and organic loading through repeated CIP cycles, backed by a 7-year pro-rata warranty.
• Conservative flux design – Sized to an average flux of 57 LMH against a maximum permitted flux of 70 LMH, extending membrane life while retaining capacity headroom.
• Full automation package – An Allen Bradley CompactLogix PLC and PanelView Plus HMI running automated production, backwash (with air scour), CIP (acid, caustic and sanitise cycles), chemically enhanced backwash and automated pressure-decay integrity test sequences, plus an auto-flush feature to protect against biofilm growth during any stoppage.
• Native integration with Onterris’ control platform – The control system was configured to Onterris’ own tag mapping, numbering and Ethernet/IP conventions, giving Onterris direct visibility and control of the UF plant from its master SCADA system.
• End-to-end documentation and delivery – BHF supplied the full suite of design submittals, P&IDs, GA drawings and O&M manuals required under the tender, followed by factory acceptance testing, on-site installation supervision, commissioning, site acceptance testing and operator training.

Onterris’ UF90 system was engineered to deliver:

• Confirmed membrane integrity – Both racks passed pressure-decay integrity testing comfortably within specification immediately after module installation, confirming a leak-free system from first production.
• Fully verified commissioning – Every BHF-supplied electrical, mechanical and software function, including all production, backwash, CIP, CEB and integrity test sequences, was tested and signed off, with the plant formally declared ready for normal operation.
• Reliable, continuous pretreatment – The redundant double-rack design gives Onterris the ability to maintain production during scheduled maintenance or CIP, supporting uninterrupted operation of the wider groundwater remediation program.
• Seamless control integration – The UF control system now operates natively alongside Onterris’ Allen Bradley master platform, giving Onterris a single point of visibility and control across its treatment train.
• A protected downstream process – By consistently removing suspended solids and coagulated organics upstream, the UF system safeguards Onterris’ proprietary ion-exchange treatment system, ensuring efficient long-term PFAS remediation outcomes.