When utility managers solicit bids for granular activated
carbon (GAC) in their filters, they tend to limit it
to bituminous GAC because of the perception that lignite
GAC is inferior. This study, conducted at the
Sweeney Water Treatment Plant in Wilmington, North Carolina
was conducted to determine whether there are indeed
differences between lignite and bituminous GAC. The
plant treats Cape Fear River water using a series of
treatment processes that include ozonation and biofiltration.
For this study, the existing GAC media in two
of the plant's full-scale dual-media filters was replaced;
one with lignite GAC and the other with bituminous
GAC. The two new filters and one control filter containing
the original GAC were operated and monitored
for 13 months. The first three months were used to
exhaust the adsorptive capacity of the new GAC and
biologically acclimate it. During the subsequent 10
months, water quality samples were collected from
various points throughout the treatment plant and from
the effluent of each of the three filters. The samples
were analyzed for various physical, chemical, and biological
constituents, and the results showed that the two
types performed equally well for both filtration and
biofiltration. The results of this study should encourage
utility managers to include lignite GAC in bids for GAC
media for use in drinking water treatment. Includes 3 references, tables, figures.
| Edition : | Vol. 97 - No. 1 |
| File Size : | 1
file
, 330 KB |
| Note : | This product is unavailable in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus |
| Number of Pages : | 8 |
| Published : | 01/01/2005 |
