In dealing with seasonal taste and odor events or to remove emerging pollutants from drinking water, powdered activated carbon (PAC) is effective but cost intensive. For example, assuming a unit cost of 2.5 Can$/kg PAC (approximately 1.9 US$/kg), an average-sized drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) with an average flow of 40 mgd (150,000 m3 water per day) can spend roughly Can$170,000 (or US$130,000) over a three-month taste-and-odor event when dosing at 5 mg/L of PAC.
