Natural Organic Matter Removal in the Context of the Performance of Drinking Water Treatment Processes—Technical Notes

Abstract

Natural organic matter (NOM) is a very complicated mixture of organic compounds and is detected in all groundwater and surface waters. Besides NOM has a direct effect on health, it touches the performance of drinking water treatment processes (DWTPs) and so the safety of potable water. NOM may also disturb consumer satisfaction since it could participate in undesirable colors, tastes, and odors in potable water. This work aims to provide an insight into the effects of NOM on the global quality of drinking water, comprising its possible impacts on DWTPs and soon the safety of drinking water. It outlines the parameters that touch the level and property of NOM and examines the indexes to adopt when suggesting a NOM control strategy. Water source becomes highly polluted by organic compounds at a level that chemical oxygen demand is presently used to characterize surface water and biological treatment is suggested as a process for NOM removal in the DWTPs. Such behavior was not thinkable thirty years ago. The coagulation process remains importantly influenced by practical variables such as mixing conditions and pH control. Employing membrane processes instead of singular chemical oxidation and coagulation should be more promoted as water supplies become highly polluted in organic compounds.