Carbon is a very porous material with a big surface; activated carbon is the most powerful adsorbent. The two most common types of raw materials used to produce activated carbons are coconut shell and bituminous coal. Activated carbon filtration can be used in the industrial and municipal fields. The most popular forms of activated carbon are powder activated carbon (PAC), and granular activated carbon (GAC). Here are some of the components removed by the activated carbon filtration process.

Although water is abundant, the potential drinking water represents only 0.3% of the world’s total quantity. The sources of potable water are multiple and include well water, precipitation (rain, snow, etc.), municipal water, and surface water such as rivers.

Depending on the source and quality of water, Aquarius S.A.L will propose the corresponding solutions to its clients. An array of treatment processes is available and includes: filtration, microfiltration, ozone generators, ultra-violet sterilization, chlorination and reverse osmosis system.
Following are some of the used processes:

Ozonation

The discovery and benefits of ozone dates back well over 150 years. Recent developments in technology have allowed a new generation of applications and products, using ozone to emerge.

Ozone (O₃) is created when diatomic oxygen (O₂) is exposed to an electrical field or UV light. Exposure to these high levels of energy causes a portion of the diatomic oxygen molecules to split into individual oxygen atoms, which combine with diatomic oxygen molecules to form ozone. It is an extremely powerful oxidant and disinfectant. Today, ozone is used in several applications: drinking water, beverage, bottled water, industrial effluent, etc.

The utilization of ozone has many advantages:

• Very high oxidizing power with very short reaction periods.
• Does not leave unpleasant chemical taste or smell.
• Does not add chemicals to the water.
• Efficient over a wide pH range.

Chlorination

Chlorination is another method used by Aquarius S.A.L to disinfect potable water. Chlorine is often the disinfectant of choice as it is reasonably efficient, cheap and easy to handle. It is a powerful germicide, killing many disease-causing microorganisms in the water, reducing them to almost non-detectable levels. Chlorine also eliminates bacteria, molds and algae that may grow in water supply systems.

In all but the smallest water treatment plants, chlorine is added to water either in aqueous solution or chlorine gas. Smaller supplies may use tablets of hypochlorite. Chlorine is also used as a disinfectant in several fields other than potable water: domestic water, swimming pools, fountains, etc.

Making up at least 5% of the earth’s crust, iron is one of the most plentiful resources. Although it is not considered hazardous to health, a level above 0.3 mg/l could have negative implications. For instance, when the level exceeds this value, we may see brown, red or yellow stains on laundry, dishes and household fixtures. It might also lead to water having a metallic taste and offensive odor, and water system piping and fixtures becoming restricted or clogged.

Aquarius S.A.L proposes a variety of solutions to remove iron from the water. There are no standards rules, but a specific solution or process for each situation.

Here below are some of the processes used for iron removal:

• Chlorination: chemical oxidizer is used to convert soluble iron to an insoluble form, before it is filtered.
• Birm filtration: acts as an insoluble catalyst to enhance the reaction between dissolved oxygen and dissolved ferrous iron.
• Aeration: Oxygen is introduced into the water to convert soluble iron into insoluble form.
• Greensand filtration: soluble irons are oxidized by contact with higher oxides of manganese on the greensand granules.