Remove micropollutants with granulated activated carbon

Eawag's experimental facility is currently investigating how rainfall affects the cleaning performance of the GAC filters. Currently, the first Swiss wastewater treatment plants are being upgraded with an additional treatment stage for the removal of micropollutants using granulated activated carbon (GAC), including the WWTP at Muri. Eawag provided technical support for the design of the installation and is also investigating unresolved issues. Since the revised Swiss Waters Protection Ordinance came into force at the beginning of 2016, some Swiss wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) must be upgraded with an additional treatment stage to remove micropollutants from wastewater. One possible process for this is filtration with granulated activated carbon (GAC), for which the aquatic research institute Eawag has produced a planning aid together with the Swiss Wastewater and Water Protection Experts (VSA). Together with partners, Eawag also provided technical support for the upgrading of the first WWTPs with this process, including the WWTP at Muri. As researchers and engineers explain in an article just published in the journal Aqua & Gas, they were able to show during a one-year pilot phase that the GAC process and the two activated carbons tested are well-suited for the wastewater in Muri and meet the specified treatment performance.