Some of the advantages provided by membrane bioreactors are as follows.
* High quality effluent: given the small size of the membrane's pores, the effluent is clear and pathogen free.
* Independent control of solids retention time and hydraulic retention time: As all the biological solids are contained in the bioreactor, the solids retention time can be controlled independently from the hydrodynamic retention time.
* Small footprint: thanks to the membrane filtration, there is a high biomass concentration contained in a small volume.
* Robust to load variations: membrane bioreactors can be operated with a broad range of operation conditions.
* Compact process: compared to the conventional activated sludge process, membrane bioreactors are more compact.