Recent news regarding the algae related water quality problems in Toledo have raised issues about the potential for algae blooms and the release of toxic chemicals from the algae elsewhere in the US and especially in Northwest Ohio.
Celina, another town in Ohio, uses Grand Lake as its water source, which has encountered problems with the algae blooms and the toxins they release since 2009. Celina, however, has updated treatment system to deal with these issues.
The city uses two methods of water treatment to make its water safe, ozone and granular activated carbon treatments. Ozone is a powerful oxidant and highly effective disinfectant. It is a technology that has been in continual commercial use for more than 100 years and has distinct properties that allow disinfection of even heavily compromised water streams.
The GAC treatment is an extremely versatile technology and in many cases has proved to be a cost effective option. GAC absorption is particularly effective in treating low concentration waste streams and in meeting stringent treatment levels. GAC is known to remove a wide variety of toxic organic compounds to non-detectable levels.
As with any water treatment technology, suitability on a specific application normally depends on costs as they relate to the amount of carbon consumed.