Improvement of organics removal by bio-ceramic filtration of raw water with addition of phosphorus

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of phosphorus addition on biological pretreatment of raw water. Experiments were conducted in pilot-scale bio-ceramic filters with raw water from a reservoir located in Beijing, China. The results demonstrated that phosphorus was the limiting nutrient for bacterial growth in the raw water investigated in this study. The measured values of bacterial regrowth potential (BRP) and biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC) of the raw water increased by 50–65% and 30–40% with addition of 50 (mu)g of PO43--P L-1, respectively. Addition of 25 (mu)g of PO43--P L-1 to the influent of bio-ceramic filter enhanced the percent removal of organics by 4.6, 5.7 and 15 percentage points in terms of CODMn, TOC and BDOC, respectively. Biomass in terms of phospholipid content increased by 13–22% and oxygen uptake rate (OUR) increased by 35–45%. The ratio of C:P for bacteria growth was 100:1.6 for the raw water used in this study. Since change of phosphorus concentrations can influence the performance of biological pretreatment and the biological stability of drinking water, this study is of substantial significance for waterworks in China. The role of phosphorus in biological processes of drinking water should deserve more attention.