Overview
Surface water and groundwater carry natural organic matter, agricultural chemicals, and compounds that give water an earthy or musty taste. Disinfection can also create by-products that need to be controlled. Municipal plants use activated carbon to deal with all of these, and the same principle works at small scale in beverage plants, household filters, and point-of-use cartridges.
How it works
- Raw water is clarified and filtered to remove particles.
- It then flows through beds of granular carbon, or powdered carbon is dosed in during seasonal taste and odor events.
- Dissolved organics adsorb onto the carbon as the water passes through.
- When the carbon is exhausted, it is replaced or sent for thermal reactivation.
Why coconut shell
Its fine micropores suit the small molecules behind many taste and odor problems, and its hardness keeps dust low in filter cartridges.
This page describes activated carbon in general. Suitability for a specific use depends on the activated carbon grade and the system it is used in.