Drinking Water Treatment Plants

In drinking water treatment plants, chlorine-based disinfection can generate long-term health risks through disinfection by-products such as trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs). The EU Drinking Water Directive sets a limit value of 100 μg/L for THMs. Iron, manganese, pharmaceutical residues, and colour are contaminants that cannot be removed by chlorine alone.

Ozone overcomes all of these challenges: in pre-disinfection, it reduces THM formation by 60–80% by breaking down THM precursor organic matter. It delivers over 95% efficacy in colour removal. Iron and manganese oxidation facilitates filtration of these metals; pharmaceutical active substances (diclofenac, carbamazepine, etc.) can be removed at over 90% via AOP combinations (Water Science and Technology journals, numerous peer-reviewed articles). Combined with biological activated carbon (BAC) filters, it achieves advanced treatment standards. Ozone is the preferred disinfection method in the WHO guidelines and in large-scale urban water treatment facilities across Europe.