Granular activated carbon is designed to reduce tastes, odors, and dissolved organic chemicals from municipal and industrial water supplies. This material is designed from select grades of coconut shell coal to produce a high density, durable granular product capable of withstanding the abrasion and dynamics associated with repeated hydraulic transport, backwashing, and mechanical handling. Activation is carefully controlled to produce an exceptionally high internal surface area with optimum pore size for the adsorption of a broad range of low molecular weight organic contaminants and oxidizing agents like chlorine and ozone.