One of the main factors affecting the equilibrium capacity of activated carbon for synthetic organic chemicals (SOCs) in natural water is the presence of background organic matter (BOM). However, the initial SOC concentration also plays an important role in determining the capacity of the carbon. The objective of this study was to develop a means of quantifying the effect of initial SOC concentration in different types of waters on its adsorption isotherm. The method used approximates the complex mixture of BOM with a single equivalent background compound (EBC). The initial concentration and single-solute isotherm constants of the EBC were calculated based on the BOM's competitive effect on the adsorption of the SOC on activated carbon. The EBC method was then successfully used to predict the equilibrium capacity of powdered activated carbon for 2,4,6-trichlorophenol in several natural and finished waters when present at different initial concentrations. A full report of this project, titled "Control of Organic Compounds with Powdered Activated Carbon" (catalog number 90581) was published by the AWWA Research Foundation. Includes 19 references, tables, figures.