Academic Bibliography

 Search 200 years of publications by Ghent University researchers.
Advanced search
2 files | 7.85 MB
Add to list
  1. Search results
  2. Mixing treated groundwater and surfac...

Mixing treated groundwater and surface water : a field study on odour challenges in the Flemish drinking water distribution network

Zoë Mol (UGent) , Christophe Walgraeve (UGent) , Rik De Pril, Fien Waegenaar (UGent) , Thomas Pluym, Koen Joris, Katrien De Maeyer, Bart De Gusseme (UGent) , Nico Boon (UGent) , Herman Van Langenhove (UGent) , et al.
(2025) JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING. 70.
Author
Organization
Project
Abstract
Drinking water providers receive (recurring) taste and odour (T&O) complaints of which the cause is unknown. To promote tap water consumption, T&O events should be avoided as these create a negative quality and safety perception. The variety of T&O compounds and their different origin makes this a highly challenging task. We present a unique field study focusing on 45 T&O compounds in the Flemish distribution network. The specific region is supplied with drinking water that changes multiple times a day between treated surface water and groundwater, as well as a mix of both. The type of water and its disinfection method had a major influence on the presence of inorganic compounds, trihalomethanes and microbiology. Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and 2,4dichloroanisole were characteristic of the treated groundwater. MTBE also showed an increase in concentration during distribution, possibly caused by infiltration. Mixing of the waters did not result in additional chemical or biological reactions. However, a possible formation in the network was seen for 2,4,6-tribromoanisole, which was also detected in odorous household samples. Our study shows the necessity to screen beyond the most targeted T&O compounds in literature, which offers the potential to identify other relevant compounds and helps to unravel odour complaints.
Keywords
Taste and odour, Tap water, Distribution network, Mixed treated water, Chemical trace analysis, SOLID-PHASE MICROEXTRACTION, DISINFECTION BY-PRODUCTS, BAR SORPTIVE EXTRACTION, OFF-FLAVOR COMPOUNDS, GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY, HUMIC SUBSTANCES, TASTE, GEOSMIN, HALOANISOLES, OXIDATION

Downloads

  • Download
    Mol et al 2025 - J Water Process Eng - AAM.pdf
    • full text (Accepted manuscript)
    • |
    • open access
    • |
    • PDF
    • |
    • 1.22 MB
  • Download
    (...).pdf
    • full text (Published version)
    • |
    • UGent only
    • |
    • PDF
    • |
    • 6.63 MB

Citation

Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:

MLA
Mol, Zoë, et al. “Mixing Treated Groundwater and Surface Water : A Field Study on Odour Challenges in the Flemish Drinking Water Distribution Network.” JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING, vol. 70, 2025, doi:10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.106947.
APA
Mol, Z., Walgraeve, C., De Pril, R., Waegenaar, F., Pluym, T., Joris, K., … Demeestere, K. (2025). Mixing treated groundwater and surface water : a field study on odour challenges in the Flemish drinking water distribution network. JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING, 70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.106947
Chicago author-date
Mol, Zoë, Christophe Walgraeve, Rik De Pril, Fien Waegenaar, Thomas Pluym, Koen Joris, Katrien De Maeyer, et al. 2025. “Mixing Treated Groundwater and Surface Water : A Field Study on Odour Challenges in the Flemish Drinking Water Distribution Network.” JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING 70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.106947.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Mol, Zoë, Christophe Walgraeve, Rik De Pril, Fien Waegenaar, Thomas Pluym, Koen Joris, Katrien De Maeyer, Bart De Gusseme, Nico Boon, Herman Van Langenhove, Karel Goos, and Kristof Demeestere. 2025. “Mixing Treated Groundwater and Surface Water : A Field Study on Odour Challenges in the Flemish Drinking Water Distribution Network.” JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING 70. doi:10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.106947.
Vancouver
1.
Mol Z, Walgraeve C, De Pril R, Waegenaar F, Pluym T, Joris K, et al. Mixing treated groundwater and surface water : a field study on odour challenges in the Flemish drinking water distribution network. JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING. 2025;70.
IEEE
[1]
Z. Mol et al., “Mixing treated groundwater and surface water : a field study on odour challenges in the Flemish drinking water distribution network,” JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING, vol. 70, 2025.
@article{01JHQ8KN32FVZC94870HH6XA4G,
  abstract     = {{Drinking water providers receive (recurring) taste and odour (T&O) complaints of which the cause is unknown. To promote tap water consumption, T&O events should be avoided as these create a negative quality and safety perception. The variety of T&O compounds and their different origin makes this a highly challenging task. We present a unique field study focusing on 45 T&O compounds in the Flemish distribution network. The specific region is supplied with drinking water that changes multiple times a day between treated surface water and groundwater, as well as a mix of both. The type of water and its disinfection method had a major influence on the presence of inorganic compounds, trihalomethanes and microbiology. Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and 2,4dichloroanisole were characteristic of the treated groundwater. MTBE also showed an increase in concentration during distribution, possibly caused by infiltration. Mixing of the waters did not result in additional chemical or biological reactions. However, a possible formation in the network was seen for 2,4,6-tribromoanisole, which was also detected in odorous household samples. Our study shows the necessity to screen beyond the most targeted T&O compounds in literature, which offers the potential to identify other relevant compounds and helps to unravel odour complaints.}},
  articleno    = {{106947}},
  author       = {{Mol, Zoë and Walgraeve, Christophe and De Pril, Rik and Waegenaar, Fien and Pluym, Thomas and Joris, Koen and De Maeyer, Katrien and De Gusseme, Bart and Boon, Nico and Van Langenhove, Herman and Goos, Karel and Demeestere, Kristof}},
  issn         = {{2214-7144}},
  journal      = {{JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING}},
  keywords     = {{Taste and odour,Tap water,Distribution network,Mixed treated water,Chemical trace analysis,SOLID-PHASE MICROEXTRACTION,DISINFECTION BY-PRODUCTS,BAR SORPTIVE EXTRACTION,OFF-FLAVOR COMPOUNDS,GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY,HUMIC SUBSTANCES,TASTE,GEOSMIN,HALOANISOLES,OXIDATION}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{14}},
  title        = {{Mixing treated groundwater and surface water : a field study on odour challenges in the Flemish drinking water distribution network}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.106947}},
  volume       = {{70}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}
Altmetric
View in Altmetric
Web of Science
Times cited: