Modern Water Purification Technologies: Integrated Treatment Processes and Sustainable Applications

Abstract. Water purification is essential for protecting public health, supporting economic activity, and reducing pressure on freshwater resources. This article reviews conventional and advanced technologies used to improve the quality of surface water, groundwater, and saline sources. It outlines the roles of source protection, coagulation and flocculation, sedimentation, granular and membrane filtration, adsorption, and disinfection within a multi-barrier treatment approach. Particular attention is given to membrane processes, including microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, forward osmosis, and electrodialysis, with emphasis on their separation mechanisms, operational requirements, and limitations. The study uses a narrative and comparative review of technical literature, standards, and recent research, including work published in Azerbaijani scientific journals on Caspian Sea desalination and water-resource protection. The comparison shows that no single method is suitable for every source: treatment trains should be selected according to raw-water quality, target contaminants, required water quality, energy demand, maintenance capacity, and residual management. The article concludes that combining appropriate treatment stages with routine monitoring and effective source-water governance offers a practical basis for reliable and sustainable water purification.

Keywords: water purification, drinking-water quality, coagulation and flocculation, filtration, membrane technologies, reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, disinfection

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