Evaluation of Ceramic Media Against GAC and Sand/Anthracite Filtration for Organics Removal

The comparison of ceramic filter media with Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) filter media and sand/anthracite filter media was conducted in a pilot plant owned by the Birmingham Water Works Board (BWWB) while the pilot plant was located at the BWWB Shades Mountain Filter Plant (SMFP). The comparison of the ceramic filter media with the GAC and the sand/anthracite focused on the ability of the ceramic media to remove organics through mechanical and/or biological processes. The extent of organics removal was determined through testing of Total Organic Carbon (TOC) levels, ultraviolet light absorbance at the 254 nm wavelength (Uv254), values of Heterotrophic Plate Counts (HPC), and by the level of Total Trihalomethane (TTHM) formation. The results from those parameters were compared to that of biologically active GAC filters and sand/anthracite filters that may or may not have been capable of mechanical and/or biological organics removal. Results indicated the ceramic filter media performed similarly to the sand/anthracite filter media in terms of organics removal, but both filter media's were unable to match the organics removal capability of the biologically active GAC media.