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Nature Works: Biological Treatment Methods Yield High‐Quality Water
Author(s) -
Evans Pat
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
opflow
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1551-8701
pISSN - 0149-8029
DOI - 10.1002/j.1551-8701.2010.tb03030.x
Subject(s) - filtration (mathematics) , bioreactor , environmental science , water quality , water treatment , biochemical engineering , anoxic waters , nitrate , environmental engineering , environmental chemistry , waste management , pulp and paper industry , chemistry , biology , ecology , engineering , mathematics , statistics , organic chemistry
This article discusses how biological treatment processes can be effectively used in various combinations and configurations, including filtration, natural filtration, and bioreactor processes, to achieve treatment objectives and improve the biological stability of distribution system water. These powerful combinations of biological, chemical, and physical mechanisms result in cost‐effective processes for producing high‐quality water. Specific filtration processes include slow sand, rapid‐rate, and granular activated carbon (GAC), and natural filtration processes include riverbank and aquifer filtration. Bioreactor processes are anticipated to play a more significant role in the future, with increasing emphasis on removing emerging contaminants, including anoxic biological treatment of perchlorate and nitrate and aerobic biological treatment of ammonia and other contaminants.