A method for making a composite polyamide membrane comprising a porous support and a thin film polyamide layer, wherein the method includes the step of applying a polyfunctional amine monomer and polyfunctional acyl halide monomer to a surface of the porous support and interfacially polymerizing the monomers to form a thin film polyamide layer, wherein the step of applying the polyfunctional acyl halide monomer to the porous support includes the step of combining the polyfunctional acyl halide monomer with a non-polar solvent at a concentration of at least 0.18 weight percent to form a coating solution which is applied to the surface of the porous support, and wherein the interfacial polymerization is conducted in the presence of a tri-hydrocarbyl phosphate compound which is provided in a molar ratio of at least 0.5:1 with the polyfunctional acyl halide monomer. Many additional embodiments are described including membranes made from the subject method and applications for such membranes.