ObjectiveThe water source of the Pearl River West Channel, as an important backup water source in Guangzhou, has been significantly improved through water environment treatment in recent years, and now has the possibility of being used as a formal source of drinking water. Clarifying the water quality characteristics and treatment efficiency of the water source of the Pearl River West Channel can provide process, technology and parameter support for Guangzhou to launch the water source of the Pearl River West Channel in the future.MethodsIn this study, the raw water quality characteristics and the removal efficiency of the whole process were studied by taking the water source of the Pearl River West Channel as the test raw water, and the water quality characteristics and treatment efficiency of the raw water source were clarified.ResultsThe water source of the the Pearl River West Channel was a slightly polluted water source with high turbidity, chromaticity, organic matter, inorganic salt and other pollutants; Biological contact oxidation pretreatment could effectively remove inorganic salts from water, with a maximum removal rate of 60.60%; The conventional treatment of flocculation sedimentation filtration had a good removal effect on various pollutants in water, with removal rates of turbidity and chromaticity exceeding 80%, and organic matter and inorganic salts maximum removal rate of 41.21% and 89.72%, respectively; Adding advanced treatment could further remove pollutants from water and improve the quality of drinking water. Among them, ultrafiltration nanofiltration had the best removal effect, with a removal rate of over 80% for turbidity and chromaticity, while maximum removal rate of organic matter and inorganic salts were about 84.12% and 71.95%, respectively; Next was ultraviolet advanced oxidation, which had a maximum removal rate of organic matter and inorganic salts 42.65% and 37.45% respectively; Ozone activated carbon had relatively poor performance, with removal rates ranging from 25.46% to 35.99% for maximum removal rate of turbidity and chromaticity, and about 20% and 30% for organic matter and inorganic salts, respectively.ConclusionThe water source of the the Pearl River West Channel is a slightly polluted water source. Pretreatment + conventional treatment can remove most of the pollutants in the raw water. Increasing advanced treatment can further remove the pollutants in the water and improve the quality of drinking water. Overall, the removal effect and operating cost of different advanced treatment processes generally show a trend of ultrafiltration nanofiltration>ultraviolet advanced oxidation> ozone activated carbon.