The paper deals with pilot-scale investigations of the effect of preozonation on NOM removal from groundwater by coagulation and flocculation processes. It was found that the preozonation increased the efficiency of organic matter removal by coagulation and flocculation from 23.6 to 47.2% as judged on the basis of KMnO4 values. From the aspect of the change of content of trihalomethanes precursors preozonation exhibits both the positive and negative effects if their content in the water after coagulation is considered in dependence of the applied ozone dose. The obtained values siggest the necessity of careful optimization of the processes of preozonation, coagulation, and flocculation, especially from the aspect of the change in content of the precursors of disinfection byproducts.

The work considers the effect of the ozonization process on the change of contents of natural organic matter (NOM) and formation of byproducts in the groundwater pretreated by preozonation (2.0 g O3/cubic m) and coagulation with polyaluminium-chlorosulfate (5 and 10 g Al/cubuc m). Experiments were carried out on a semi-industrial plant of capacity of 2 cubic m/h, using groundwater with a high content of NOM (5.1 mg/l TOC). It was found that in the course of ozonization NOM content shows a decrease (18-64%), as well as the potential of formation of trihalomethanes, PFTHM (12-59%), whereas content of aldehydes increases by 3.0-7.7 microgram/l, depending on the water pretreatment and applied ozone dose. It was found correlation between specific aldehyde content and decrease of the specific PFTHM (r=0.815-0.998).

New type of ozone generator based on barrier discharge was applied for removal of phenol from water under laboratory conditions. Three water samples with initial concentration of phenol of 6.0 mg/L were studied. In the experiment with distilled water containing phenol, 98.9% of phenol was removed (93.3% during the ozonization). Under similar conditions two different water samples from river Danube were used. In these cases, 76.7% and 80.0% of phenol were removed, respectively. In all experiments, water samples containing phenol passed only once through the ozonizer. It is reasonable to assume that better purification could be obtained with several passes of water through ozonizer and/or by optimization of the process (adjusting concentration of ozone, ozonization time, water flow, etc.).

The paper presents the results of a pilot study of the combined process of ozonation and filtration through biologically activated carbon to remove residual organic matter in the process of drinking water production. It was established that the application of these procedures resulted in the removal in average of 74% PB, 50% TOC, 60% of total aldehydes, and 54% PFTHM, the result being a consequence of the adsorption/biosorption processes involved.