Drinking water treatment

As a result of rapid growth of industry, as well as development of agriculture, an amount of untreated wastewaters, pesticides and oil products disposed into natural water sources are increasing significantly. It entails deterioration the quality of water and sometimes makes it even unfit for consumption.
Safety of drinking water has a paramount importance for consumers. The main task of municipal water treatment plants is to remove microorganisms, dissolved chemicals and fine particles of different origin from the water. One of the key stages of drinking water purification is its chlorine disinfection. However, the higher content of organic substances consists in the water, the more trihalomethanes (THM) are formed through its chlorination. THMs have a carcinogenic effect and also are one of factors in formation of digestive system’s oncological diseases, so their content in drinking water is strictly regulated. Nevertheless, due to high pollution of water sources and imperfection of municipal water treatment facilities, an average value of THMs in Ukraine’s cities is overstated. One of an effective ways of solving this problem is using the activated carbon in the water treatment technology.
Depending on the type of the activated carbon, it can be used at different stages of water treatment.

Powdered activated carbon (PAC) is used at one of the primary water treatment stages, especially during floods, and in periods of deterioration in quality of natural water sources which come with high colourness, oxidizability, COD, strong smell.

Granular activated carbon (GAС) can be used as a sorbtion loading, aimed to remove TGM, surfactants, pesticides from the water. Additionally, it also reduces oxidizability, improves organoleptic characteristics of drinking water.