Within the project commercially available technologies (low pressure reverse osmosis LPRO, ion exchange process CARIX) are tested regarding energetically optimized, sustainable sulfate removal for the treatment of different raw waters for drinking water application. In Hamburg, deep and salty ground waters (anaerobic before and aerobic after deferrization) are tested, in Berlin near-surface bank filtrate is treated. Results from semi-technical scale (plant capacities ca. 1 m³/h) are extrapolated regarding available literature data and are compared through ecological (life cycle assessment) and economical assessment. Evaluation criteria are amongst others specific energy consumption, application behavior and sustainability of each technology under varying raw water compositions. Beyond the industrially available technologies LPRO and CARIX a commercial Polymer-UF-Membrane is post modified by a novel coating process and thus optimized for the target substance sulfate. This innovative technology of Capillary-NF runs at low operating pressures compared to the state of the art processes and will therefore be able to realize operation at lower energy demand for the treatment of waters with increased sulfate concentration. The experiments are run in parallel to the LPRO and CARIX trials in technical scale. The operation data of the Capillary-NF are regarded in the ecological assessment and are critically compared with results of LPRO and CARIX. | 
