Total Organic Carbon (TOC) removal has long been a fundamental part of conventional water treatment. But for many utilities, it’s still treated as just another compliance box to check. The truth is, when done right, TOC optimization becomes a powerful driver of plant performance—impacting everything from filter run times to disinfection byproducts and overall chemical demand.
What we often see is that plants are meeting regulatory standards without realizing they could be achieving so much more. Better TOC removal isn’t just about cleaner source water. It extends filter life, lowers chlorine requirements, and helps reduce the formation of DBPs. These benefits stack up quickly—improving efficiency, cutting costs, and strengthening resilience across the treatment process.
A big part of the challenge is how operators approach decision-making. Traditional methods like jar tests and historical intuition are helpful, but they can’t keep up with the complexity of today’s treatment goals. That’s where platforms like Decision Blue change the game. By using real-time plant data to simulate treatment outcomes, operators can see exactly how adjustments to pH, coagulant dose, or other variables will affect TOC removal and downstream performance—before making any changes in the real world.
This shift from reactive to proactive operations is already paying off for utilities. During the discussion, Greg Venette from the City of Louisville, Colorado shared how his team uses Decision Blue to fine-tune operations daily. Even though their raw water isn’t particularly high in TOC, the ability to model outcomes and adapt dosing strategies has helped them extend filter runs and reduce DBPs without increasing chemical use. These kinds of results aren’t outliers—they’re the outcome of intentional, data-driven optimization.
What stood out throughout the conversation is how TOC, when viewed strategically, becomes more than just an early step in the process. It sets the tone for everything that follows. Getting it right helps stabilize the rest of the system, simplifies disinfection, and gives operators more control. With the right tools, teams can stop chasing problems and start making confident, informed decisions that move their operations forward.
If your utility is still treating TOC as just a compliance metric, it may be time to look deeper. The opportunity isn’t just to stay in bounds—it’s to raise the bar and deliver better water, more efficiently, every single day.
