The Many Faces Of Carbon — A Versatile Treatment Solution

What concerns drinking water municipalities the most? Is it regulations, emerging contaminants, or a crisp, clear product? To a degree, it’s all of the above. Jim Knepper of Jacobi Carbons explains.

On regulations:

“From the municipality's perspective, the regulation that's most prominent is the disinfection byproducts (DBP) rule. A lot of water providers have already added granular activated carbon (GAC) to comply; others are in the middle of doing so, because the regs are starting to take hold and firm up. In most cases, it's quite a jump in treatment for smaller municipalities that aren't used to it. Fortunately, carbon, GAC, and powdered activated carbon (PAC) are easy technologies to implement and operate.”

On emerging contaminants:

“Most of the buzz is pharmaceuticals and endocrine disruptors, and we have products that fit the need for high-removal efficiency. …We’re continuing to do research on different types of products that will have higher efficiency, higher removal rates for these types of things.”

On taste and odor:

“Some [municipalities] have specific taste note or needs that require a specific activated carbon, and I think the challenge for us and for them working together is to make sure that the product is actually removing what's intended and not some sort of surrogate — dare I say, a “bogus” contaminant — that's not really of importance.”

Learn more about Jacobi Carbons’ capabilities, and what it’s like to go from a $200-million company to a $15-billion company overnight, by accessing the full interview below.