Abstract: A process for the production of highly purified water 44 from Fischer-Tropsch reaction water 12 includes distillation 14 as a primary treatment stage, biological treatment including anaerobic digestion 20 and aerobic digestion 22 as a secondary treatment stage, solid-liquid separation 32 as a tertiary treatment stage and a dissolved salt and organic removal stage 40 as final treatment stage.

Abstract: A process for the production of highly purified water 38 from Fischer-Tropsch reaction water 12, includes at least the steps of a primary treatment stage comprising an equilibrium staged separation process 14 having at least one stage for removing at least a fraction of non-acid oxygenated hydrocarbons from the Fischer-Tropsch reaction water 12 to produce a primary water-enriched stream 16, a secondary treatment stage comprising at least one membrane separation process 28 for removing at least some suspended solids and acidic oxygenated hydrocarbons from at least a portion of the primary water-enriched stream 16 to produce a secondary water-enriched stream 34 and a tertiary treatment stage comprising a dissolved salt and organic removal stage 36 for removing at least some dissolved salts and organic constituents from at least a portion of the secondary water-enriched stream 34.