Membrane technology for rainwater treatment and reuse: A mini review

Because of the current situation of global water shortage, finding strategies that can effectively guarantee water safety and sustainable use has become an urgent problem that needs to be solved at present. Rainwater is a type of clean energy and the method of the treatment and reuse of rainwater has become a pivotal problem that is worthy of consideration. Membrane technology has become the preferred method in the field of wastewater treatment due to its small footprint, good treatment effect, and low cost, and has also received increasing attention in rainwater treatment field. This review aims to retrospect the existing research technology of rainwater treatment with membrane technology and seek out the most critical research gaps to meet future research needs and technological exploration. The characteristics of different types of membrane technologies in rainwater treatment were summarized, the water quality after treatment and the feasibility in practical applications was analyzed. Membrane fouling has been identified as the main challenge. Nowadays, the research on membrane surface modification and membrane process optimization is gradually deepening, and the exploration and synthesis of new membrane materials and the process of treating rainwater with various technology combinations are still under research. The future application prospects are worth looking forward to.