VOCs in Drinking Water: Cost of Removal

Abstract

There is growing concern over the quality of the nations groundwater resources. Instances of ground water contamination from organic chemicals have been reported in virtually all states. Long‐term policy should be directed toward the protection of ground‐water quality. Although, ideally, ground water contamination should be prevented, existing contamination problems must be addressed. This paper discusses several control technology options available to treat ground water for organic chemical contamination. A cost and performance analysis is presented in order to guide the selection of control technologies for seven major contaminants: trichloroethylene; tetrachloroethylene; 1,1,1‐ trichloroethane; carbon tetrachloride; cis‐1‐2‐dichloroethylene; 1‐2 dichloroethane; 1‐1 dichloroethylene. In all cases aeration is the cheapest alternative for treatment. If adsorption is required, home units using granular activated carbon (GAC) may prove to be cheaper than central adsorption treatment.