“Taste and odor problems are among the most frequent causes of customer complaints in drinking water systems.” — American Water Works Association (AWWA)

Color, taste, and odor in drinking water are primarily aesthetic concerns, but they often indicate underlying water quality conditions that can impact treatment performance and public confidence. Color may result from suspended solids (apparent color) or dissolved organic matter such as humic and fulvic acids (true color), commonly found in surface waters influenced by organic-rich environments and seasonal runoff. Taste and odor issues are typically caused by trace organic compounds, including algal byproducts such as geosmin and MIB or sulfur-based compounds that are detectable at extremely low concentrations. While these parameters do not typically present a direct health risk, they significantly affect consumer perception and can interfere with downstream processes.

Pureflow provides targeted treatment solutions for color, taste, and odor using proven oxidation and adsorption technologies. Ozone is widely applied to oxidize organic compounds responsible for color as well as taste- and odor-causing constituents, improving overall water quality and stability. In applications involving more complex or refractory organics, advanced oxidation processes (AOP) are implemented to achieve deeper degradation through hydroxyl radical formation. Granular activated carbon (GAC) systems are used as a standalone adsorption process or applied where long-term removal of dissolved organics is required, providing consistent control of color, taste, and odor.

Pureflow Solutions:

• GAC filtration

• Ozone oxidation

• Advanced oxidation