METHOD OF PRODUCING DRINKING WATER FROM CONTAMINATED GROUND AND SURFACE WATER
Organically contaminated water containing micro-organisms is purified by first oxygenating the raw water and passing it through a coarse-particle activated-carbon bed, thereafter further oxygenating the effluent from the first bed and passing it through a second bed, and chlorinate the effluent from the latter. The water traverses the bed with a specific loading of less than 4 hr<->1, the chlorine or other disinfectant is added in an amount greater than 0.05 and less than about 0.5 mg/liter of chlorine, and only the second bed is reactivated or regenerated.