A new method combining pre-oxidation and activated powdered carbon was tested to treat organic pollution in water in south China. Traditional methods were not effective in removing organic waste from the polluted water. By using a combination of pre-oxidation and activated powdered carbon, the removal rate of organic matter significantly improved. The study found that coal activated carbon was more effective than wood or coconut shell charcoal in removing organic waste. Additionally, the combination of pre-oxidation and powdered activated carbon pre-adsorption resulted in the highest removal rate of organic matter, reaching 80.7% in the tested conditions.