Desalinated municipal, borewell, tanker, process or reuse water.
Know what is in the water
Every contaminant
needs the right process.
Understand what it is, what you may notice and which Watch Water technologies may be relevant — then test before you treat.
Many important contaminants have no reliable taste, smell or visible warning. A proper sample is the starting point for safe system design.
The Pure Water X guide
Find your water concern.
Use the filters or search by a test result, symptom or treatment technology.
01EverydayChlorine
A common municipal disinfectant that can remain in distributed water.
- What you may notice
- Pool-like taste or odour; testing confirms concentration.
- Treatment approach
- Catalytic carbon treatment at the tap or property entry point.
- Relevant technologies
- Catalytic CarbonSpecial-CCCarbonBlock-TS3
02EverydayChloramine
A longer-lasting disinfectant made from chlorine and ammonia.
- What you may notice
- Medicinal taste or odour; cannot be reliably identified without testing.
- Treatment approach
- Adequate contact time with catalytic carbon selected for chloramine.
- Relevant technologies
- Catalytic CarbonCatalytic Carbon-MGSpecial-CC
03EverydayHardness & limescale
Dissolved calcium and magnesium can form hard deposits when water is heated or evaporates.
- What you may notice
- White deposits on taps, glass, heaters and shower screens.
- Treatment approach
- Salt-free scale prevention or application-specific softening.
- Relevant technologies
- Filtersorb SP3Filtersorb CTScale-TechScaleTrapp
04EverydayTaste & odour
Organic matter, disinfectants, storage tanks or plumbing can change how water smells and tastes.
- What you may notice
- Earthy, metallic, musty or chemical notes.
- Treatment approach
- Test first, then combine adsorption and filtration as required.
- Relevant technologies
- Catalytic CarbonActivesorb CXSpecial Filter
05EverydayTurbidity & sediment
Fine suspended particles can enter water through tanks, pipes, construction or source conditions.
- What you may notice
- Cloudiness, visible particles or sediment in tanks and fixtures.
- Treatment approach
- Graded filtration selected for particle size, flow and loading.
- Relevant technologies
- CrystoliteZeosorbKatalyst-LightWatch UF 2500
MetalsIron
Naturally occurring or corrosion-derived iron can affect colour, taste and equipment.
- What you may notice
- Orange-brown staining, metallic taste or deposits.
- Treatment approach
- Oxidation followed by catalytic filtration and backwashing.
- Relevant technologies
- Katalyst-LightFerroloxZeosorb
MetalsManganese
A naturally occurring metal that may appear with iron in source water.
- What you may notice
- Dark brown or black staining; laboratory testing is recommended.
- Treatment approach
- Catalytic oxidation and filtration matched to pH and water chemistry.
- Relevant technologies
- Katalyst-LightKatalyst-Light PlusFerrolox G
MetalsArsenic
A naturally occurring contaminant that may be present in some groundwater sources.
- What you may notice
- No reliable taste, smell or visual warning — accredited testing is essential.
- Treatment approach
- Speciation and water chemistry determine the adsorber and pre-treatment design.
- Relevant technologies
- TitansorbFerroloxKatalyst-Light
MetalsLead
Lead can enter water from plumbing components, fittings and legacy infrastructure.
- What you may notice
- Usually no reliable sensory warning; sample at the point of use.
- Treatment approach
- Source control plus certified adsorption or filtration media.
- Relevant technologies
- TitansorbHydroSorbCarbonBlock-TS3
MetalsChromium
Chromium occurs in different chemical forms and may come from geology or industrial activity.
- What you may notice
- Laboratory speciation is needed; appearance alone is not diagnostic.
- Treatment approach
- Targeted adsorption selected for chromium form, pH and competing ions.
- Relevant technologies
- TitansorbHydroSorbFerrolox X
MetalsMercury
A trace metal that can enter water from natural or industrial sources.
- What you may notice
- No dependable taste, odour or colour indicator.
- Treatment approach
- Laboratory-led adsorption design with appropriate media monitoring.
- Relevant technologies
- TitansorbHydroSorbMultiTrapp
MetalsCadmium
A metal associated with some industrial sources and plumbing materials.
- What you may notice
- Testing is required; it is not reliably detectable by the senses.
- Treatment approach
- Selective adsorption or ion-exchange treatment after full analysis.
- Relevant technologies
- TitansorbHydroSorbMultiTrapp
MetalsCopper
Copper may be present naturally or released by corrosion of copper plumbing.
- What you may notice
- Blue-green stains, metallic taste or pinhole leaks can warrant investigation.
- Treatment approach
- Control corrosivity and, where needed, add targeted metal removal.
- Relevant technologies
- CorrTrappKatalyst-LightTitansorb
MetalsBarium
A naturally occurring element that can be present in some groundwater and industrial waters.
- What you may notice
- No reliable visual or taste indicator.
- Treatment approach
- Selective media chosen from a complete ionic analysis.
- Relevant technologies
- BariumTrappMultiTrapp
MetalsSelenium
A naturally occurring trace element whose concentration varies by geology and source.
- What you may notice
- Laboratory testing is necessary.
- Treatment approach
- Targeted adsorption with pH and competing-ion review.
- Relevant technologies
- TitansorbFerrolox
MetalsUranium, radium & radionuclides
Naturally occurring radioactive elements may be found in some groundwater sources.
- What you may notice
- No sensory warning; specialist laboratory testing is required.
- Treatment approach
- Engineered adsorption or co-precipitation with controlled media handling.
- Relevant technologies
- TitansorbKatalyst-LightHydroSorb
17MicrobialBacteria & viruses
Microorganisms can enter through source contamination, tanks, pipework or maintenance events.
- What you may notice
- Water may look normal; microbiological testing is the only reliable check.
- Treatment approach
- Source protection, oxidation/disinfection and validated physical barriers.
- Relevant technologies
- AquaRedoxVirol-OxyWatch UF 2500
18MicrobialLegionella
A bacterium associated with certain warm-water building systems and stagnation conditions.
- What you may notice
- Not identifiable by taste, smell or appearance.
- Treatment approach
- A building water-management plan with specialist testing and treatment.
- Relevant technologies
- Legio-OxyAquaRedoxIn-Pipe Clarifier
19MicrobialBiofilm
Microbial layers can develop on tanks, pipework and wetted surfaces.
- What you may notice
- Slime, recurring odour or unstable microbiological results may indicate a problem.
- Treatment approach
- Cleaning, hydraulic correction and a validated treatment programme.
- Relevant technologies
- BioDos-CBLegio-OxyIn-Pipe Clarifier
20EmergingPFAS / PFOA / PFOS
A large family of persistent fluorinated compounds from many industrial and consumer uses.
- What you may notice
- No taste, smell or visible indicator; specialised analysis is needed.
- Treatment approach
- Media selection depends on PFAS profile, chain length and competing organics.
- Relevant technologies
- HydroSorbCatalytic Carbon-MGMicroTrapp
21EmergingMicroplastics
Small plastic particles may originate from source water, packaging, textiles and infrastructure.
- What you may notice
- Most particles are too small to see without specialist analysis.
- Treatment approach
- Multi-stage filtration and adsorption matched to particle-size distribution.
- Relevant technologies
- MicroTrappWatch UF 2500HydroSorb
22EmergingPesticides & pharmaceuticals
Trace organic compounds can reach source water through agriculture, wastewater and disposal pathways.
- What you may notice
- Typically no sensory indicator; advanced laboratory screening is required.
- Treatment approach
- High-surface-area adsorption, carbon polishing and performance monitoring.
- Relevant technologies
- HydroSorbCatalytic Carbon-MGTitansorb-P
23EmergingVOCs & organic micropollutants
Volatile and dissolved organics may arise from fuels, solvents, industry or distribution systems.
- What you may notice
- Some create odour, many do not; test against the suspected source.
- Treatment approach
- Targeted carbon or specialised adsorption with adequate contact time.
- Relevant technologies
- Catalytic CarbonActivesorb 200MicroTrapp
24EmergingNitrate & nitrite
Nitrogen compounds can enter water from agriculture, wastewater or natural processes.
- What you may notice
- Water generally looks, tastes and smells normal.
- Treatment approach
- Selective nitrate treatment sized from a complete water analysis.
- Relevant technologies
- NitroTrappNitro-Soft
25EmergingFluoride
Fluoride can be naturally occurring or intentionally present depending on the water supply.
- What you may notice
- Concentration cannot be determined by taste or appearance.
- Treatment approach
- Selective adsorption designed around pH and competing ions.
- Relevant technologies
- HydroSorbMultiTrapp
26EmergingPerchlorate
A highly soluble anion associated with certain industrial and environmental sources.
- What you may notice
- No dependable sensory indicator.
- Treatment approach
- Specialist selective treatment following confirmed analysis.
- Relevant technologies
- HydroSorbMultiTrapp
27InfrastructureAmmonia / ammonium
Ammonium may occur naturally, enter from wastewater or form part of chloramine chemistry.
- What you may notice
- May contribute to odour or unstable disinfection; testing is required.
- Treatment approach
- Adsorption, biological or oxidation treatment depending on conditions.
- Relevant technologies
- ZeosorbOxysorbRedOxy
28InfrastructureHydrogen sulphide
A dissolved gas commonly associated with some groundwater and anaerobic conditions.
- What you may notice
- Characteristic rotten-egg odour, often stronger at hot taps.
- Treatment approach
- Oxidation followed by catalytic filtration and ventilation where appropriate.
- Relevant technologies
- Katalyst-LightKatalyst-Light PlusOxysorb
29InfrastructureCorrosion
Aggressive water chemistry can attack metal plumbing, fixtures and equipment over time.
- What you may notice
- Metallic taste, discoloured water, blue-green stains or repeated leaks.
- Treatment approach
- Assess pH, alkalinity, chloride and materials, then stabilise water chemistry.
- Relevant technologies
- CorrTrappZincPhos-CTCarboFix
30InfrastructureSilica
Dissolved silica can create stubborn deposits in membranes, boilers and high-recovery systems.
- What you may notice
- Hard, glass-like deposits that resist common acid cleaning.
- Treatment approach
- Source-specific silica control and recovery management.
- Relevant technologies
- SilicaTrappROSoft
31InfrastructureBoron
Boron is naturally present in seawater and can be relevant in desalination, irrigation and reuse.
- What you may notice
- No sensory indicator; laboratory analysis is required.
- Treatment approach
- Selective boron treatment matched to pH, concentration and end use.
- Relevant technologies
- BoronTrappROSoft
Why source matters
The same word can mean
a different treatment train.
pH, alkalinity, salinity, competing ions, organics and microbiology.
Drinking, whole-home, pool, hospitality, food, industrial or municipal.
The media, contact time, vessel and controls needed for the target.
