Catalytic filtering-incinerating process and device for waste water

The method for destroying oxidizable pollutants of atomic to colloidal size in water, comprising the steps of:

• adding hypochlorite ions to the water;
• flowing the water through a filter bed of particulate, porous, refractory, substrate material containing catalytic material composed of oxides of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, iron, cobalt, iridium, and mixtures thereof, said oxides formed at temperatures from 550.degree. to 900.degree.F in the presence of a gas containing oxygen, and within the pores of said substrate, wherein said substrate is selected from aluminas having an average pore diameter within the range from 80 to 100 angstroms, and molecular sieves with channels having an average opening from 8 to 40 angstroms, whereby the metallic oxides catalyze decomposition of the hypochlorite ions to produce atomic oxygen, which oxidizes at least some of the pollutants into harmless products;
• draining the filtered water from the filter bed;
• heating the filter bed to above 900.degree.F;
• and
• forcing oxygen-containing gas through the filter bed, whereby any remaining pollutants entrapped by the filter bed are incinerated, the filter bed is cleaned, and the metal-oxide catalysts are refurbished.