Opportunity Information: Apply for BOR DO 20 N005
This grant opportunity, titled "Evaluating Contaminates of Emerging Concern's Fate in Potable Reuse Membrane Treatment" (Funding Opportunity Number BOR DO 20 N005), is a Bureau of Reclamation (Department of the Interior) cooperative agreement aimed at improving understanding and performance of Closed-Circuit Reverse Osmosis (CCRO) for potable water reuse applications. The project is structured as applied research and development in the science and technology category (CFDA 15.560) and was designed to result in one award with an award ceiling of $120,000. The original posting date was May 22, 2020, with an original closing date of June 5, 2020.
The central purpose of the effort is to support further development of CCRO as a high-recovery reverse osmosis approach that can remove most contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) while addressing a persistent operational problem: the process produces a concentrate stream that can contain elevated CEC concentrations. That concentrate, especially when it is "CEC-rich," can be expensive and difficult to manage or discharge, and those added disposal and compliance costs can become a practical barrier to implementing potable reuse, particularly for inland facilities with limited concentrate discharge options. In other words, even if membrane treatment produces very high quality product water, the economics and feasibility of water reuse can be undermined if the residual stream becomes too costly or complicated to handle.
The opportunity emphasizes two main research needs. First, it targets the broader knowledge gap around the fate, transport, and removal of CECs in water reclamation and potable reuse membrane treatment. While reverse osmosis is generally effective at rejecting a wide range of trace organics and other emerging contaminants, the specifics can vary by compound, operating conditions, membrane configuration, and system recovery, and the concentrate side of the process often receives less attention than the product water side. Second, it focuses on reducing the volume of concentrate discharge, because higher recovery (less waste stream per unit of purified water) can directly lower operational costs and improve feasibility, again especially for inland water reclamation plants where brine management is a major constraint.
Under the cooperative agreement, the Cal Poly Pomona Foundation is identified as the assisting organization for the work, with activities organized around generating practical, decision-relevant data for Reclamation and stakeholders such as municipalities and academic partners. The planned technical work includes compiling and synthesizing existing knowledge by conducting literature studies focused on CEC behavior in CCRO and similar high-recovery membrane setups. This is intended to establish what is already known, identify gaps, and guide experimental design so that the pilot testing can answer the most pressing questions rather than duplicating prior work.
In addition to the literature component, the project calls for developing an experimental procedure that lays out how samples will be collected and analyzed in the laboratory. The sampling plan specifically covers CCRO feed water, product water, and concentrate, reflecting the need to quantify not just removal efficiency into the treated water but also how CECs partition and concentrate in the residual stream. A clear, repeatable protocol for sample handling and analytical methods is a key deliverable because CEC measurements are often sensitive to contamination, degradation, and detection-limit issues, and consistent methods are necessary to compare results across operating conditions and over time.
A major part of the effort is the commissioning, operation, and monitoring of a pilot CCRO system under different operating conditions, paired with routine sampling and analysis for CECs. By varying operating conditions, the researchers can evaluate how changes in recovery, pressure, circulation, and other operational variables influence both removal performance and concentrate characteristics. The intent is not just to confirm that CCRO can achieve high rejection, but to understand the dynamics of CEC fate in a system designed to push recoveries higher, which can change concentration factors and potentially influence compound-specific behavior.
Finally, the project includes systematic data collection and analysis to build a comprehensive data log that links operating conditions with water quality outcomes. This kind of integrated dataset is valuable for translating pilot observations into guidance for utilities and designers, because it supports performance interpretation, troubleshooting, and potentially the development of operating strategies that balance high recovery with manageable concentrate quality and volume. Overall, the opportunity is aimed at reducing uncertainty around CEC behavior in high-recovery RO configurations and helping remove a cost and implementation hurdle for potable reuse by improving understanding of the concentrate stream and how to minimize it.Apply for BOR DO 20 N005
- The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Evaluating Contaminates of Emerging Concern’s Fate in Potable Reuse Membrane Treatment" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.560.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 22, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 05, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $120,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Evaluating Contaminates of Emerging Concern's Fate in Potable Reuse Membrane Treatment."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is BOR DO 20 N005.
Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?
This opportunity is offered by the Bureau of Reclamation, which is part of the Department of the Interior.
What type of funding instrument is this?
The opportunity is a cooperative agreement.
What program or catalog listing is associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is identified in the science and technology category and is associated with CFDA 15.560.
What is the main purpose of the project?
The central purpose is to improve understanding and performance of Closed-Circuit Reverse Osmosis (CCRO) for potable water reuse applications, with a specific focus on contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) and how they behave across feed water, product water, and the concentrate stream.
Why is CCRO a focus for potable reuse in this project?
The project is aimed at supporting development of CCRO as a high-recovery reverse osmosis approach that can remove most CECs. The emphasis is on pairing high-quality product water with more practical concentrate management by reducing concentrate volume and understanding how CECs accumulate in that residual stream.
What problem is this opportunity trying to address related to concentrate (brine) management?
Even when membrane treatment produces very high quality product water, CCRO can produce a concentrate stream with elevated CEC concentrations. Disposal or discharge of a "CEC-rich" concentrate can be expensive and difficult, and those added costs and compliance challenges can become a barrier to implementing potable reuse, especially at inland facilities with limited discharge options.
What are contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in the context of this opportunity?
Within this opportunity, CECs refer broadly to trace contaminants that may be present in reclaimed water and are of interest for potable reuse. The notice emphasizes that reverse osmosis can reject many of these compounds, but performance can vary by compound and operating conditions, and the concentrate side needs more attention.
What are the two main research needs emphasized by the opportunity?
The opportunity emphasizes: (1) addressing the knowledge gap around the fate, transport, and removal of CECs in water reclamation and potable reuse membrane treatment, and (2) reducing the volume of concentrate discharge by pursuing higher recovery, which can lower costs and improve feasibility.
Why does higher recovery matter for utilities, particularly inland facilities?
Higher recovery means less concentrate (waste stream) generated per unit of purified water. Because concentrate management can be a major cost and constraint, reducing concentrate volume can improve the economics and feasibility of potable reuse, particularly where discharge options are limited.
Who is identified as the assisting organization under the cooperative agreement?
The Cal Poly Pomona Foundation is identified as the assisting organization for the work.
How is the work described (basic research vs applied work)?
The project is structured as applied research and development.
What kinds of activities are included in the planned technical work?
The planned work includes: literature studies to compile and synthesize existing knowledge; development of an experimental procedure (including sample collection and laboratory analysis methods); commissioning, operation, and monitoring of a pilot CCRO system under different operating conditions; routine sampling and analysis for CECs; and systematic data collection and analysis to build a comprehensive data log connecting operations to water quality outcomes.
What is the purpose of the literature study component?
The literature work is intended to establish what is already known about CEC behavior in CCRO and similar high-recovery membrane systems, identify gaps, and guide experimental design so pilot testing answers priority questions rather than duplicating prior work.
Why does the opportunity emphasize having a clear sampling and analysis protocol?
CECs can be challenging to measure because results can be sensitive to contamination, degradation, and detection-limit issues. A clear, repeatable protocol for sample handling and analytical methods is emphasized to support consistency and comparability across operating conditions and over time.
Which water streams are specifically included in the sampling plan?
The sampling plan covers CCRO feed water, product water, and concentrate.
Why is it important to sample the concentrate stream, not just the product water?
The opportunity highlights that concentrate often receives less attention than product water, even though it can contain elevated CEC concentrations. Understanding how CECs partition and concentrate in the residual stream is key for realistic concentrate management, cost control, and compliance planning.
What does pilot CCRO operation involve in this project?
The project includes commissioning, operating, and monitoring a pilot CCRO system under different operating conditions, paired with routine sampling and laboratory analysis for CECs.
What operating conditions are intended to be varied during pilot testing?
The opportunity indicates that operating conditions will be varied to evaluate how changes influence removal performance and concentrate characteristics, including variables such as recovery, pressure, circulation, and other operational factors.
What is meant by studying the "fate" of CECs in CCRO?
In this context, "fate" refers to how CECs behave across the CCRO process: how effectively they are rejected from the product water, how they transport through the system under different operating conditions, and how they partition and potentially build up in the concentrate stream as recovery increases.
What is the expected value of the dataset produced by this work?
The project is designed to produce an integrated data log that links operating conditions with water quality outcomes. This kind of dataset can support performance interpretation, troubleshooting, and development of operating strategies that balance high recovery with manageable concentrate volume and quality.
Who are the intended stakeholders for the results?
The opportunity references generating practical, decision-relevant data for Reclamation and stakeholders such as municipalities and academic partners.
How many awards were planned for this opportunity?
The opportunity was designed to result in one award.
What is the award ceiling?
The award ceiling is $120,000.
What were the original posting and closing dates?
The original posting date was May 22, 2020, and the original closing date was June 5, 2020.
How does this work aim to reduce barriers to potable reuse?
It aims to reduce uncertainty around CEC behavior in high-recovery RO configurations and address concentrate management challenges by improving understanding of the concentrate stream and exploring ways to minimize concentrate volume through higher recovery operation.
Does the opportunity focus only on treated (product) water quality?
No. While product water quality is part of the picture, the opportunity repeatedly emphasizes the concentrate stream: its volume, its potentially elevated CEC concentrations, and the operational and economic implications of managing it.
Is the goal simply to confirm CCRO can reject CECs?
No. The intent goes beyond confirmation of high rejection. The project is framed around understanding the dynamics of CEC fate in a high-recovery CCRO system, including how operational changes affect both removal performance and concentrate characteristics.
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