EFFECT OF COLORED ORGANICS ON IRON REMOVAL

organics are absent, iron can usually be made insoluble by aeration and then removed by filtration. However, whenever organics are present in addition to iron, the removal of both contaminants becomes a much more difficult problem. In Canada there are many examples of this problem. Moreover, colored waters are not restricted to surface supplies. The author had experience with one well water in north-central Alberta which contained about 150 units of color in conjunction with 2-3 ppm iron. This particular well obtains water from an aquifer some 600 ft below the ground surface. The aquifer is composed of relatively coarse sand, with some evidence of coal interspersed throughout the sand. The removal of iron and colored or-