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MICROBIOLOGICAL REMOVAL BY FILTRATION PROCESSES
Citation:
Fox*, K R. MICROBIOLOGICAL REMOVAL BY FILTRATION PROCESSES. Chapter 8, Clark, R.M. and Boutin, B.K. (ed.), Controlling Disinfection By-Products and Microbial Contaminants in Drinking Water (EPA/600/R-01/110). USEPA, Cincinnati, OH, (2002).
Description:
Filtration ws originally used to remove contaminants that affect the appearance, odor, and taste of drinking water. Later it was demonstrated that bacteria in drinking water were causative agents of disease. Water treatment technology improved with the addition of disinfection, coagulation, and sedimentation to the treatment process and with further refinement of the filtration process. Even with the advances made in water treatment technology, outbreaks of waterborne disease continue to occur. Recent large waterborne disease outbreaks have focused much of the nation's attention on large water systems. Though the numbers of people affected by waterborne disease outbreaks in small systems are smaller, many individuals are impacted. The sheer numbers of small systems in the US overwhelm the number of larger systems. More than 95% of the 186,822 public water systems serve 3,300 individuals or less. This chapter discusses technologies that are especially applicable to small systems, such as Slow Sand Filtration (SSF) and Diatomaceous Earth (DE) Filtration. In addition, the application of granular filtration for Giardia and Cryptosporidium control is discussed. Granular filtration has applications in systems of all sizes.