a liquid stream stripping is commonly performed in a distillation column in which the liquid stream flows down the column and gas flows up the column to u201c strip u201d off contaminants from the liquid u201c stripper sour water u201d means sour water that has been run through a stripper process u201c wastewater u201d means water generated from any industrial plant or industrial process the byproducts therefrom in the event that the above definitions or a definition stated elsewhere in this application is inconsistent with a meaning explicit or implicit which is commonly used in a dictionary or stated in a source incorporated by reference into this application the application and the claim terms in particular are understood to be construed according to the definition in this application and not according to the common definition dictionary definition or the definition that was incorporated by reference in at least one embodiment selenium is removed from a selenium containing liquid by a method comprising the steps of adding an oxidant to the liquid adjusting the liquid 39 s ph to below 7 preferably 6 adding ferric salt in an amount such that less than a quarter of selenium in the liquid precipitates and adding a poly dithiocarbamate material to the liquid in an amount such that the amount of poly dithiocarbamate material in ppm is greater than the amount of ferric salt in ppm in at least one embodiment the oxidant is selected from the list consisting of hydrogen peroxide ozone kmno 4 naclo clo 2 peracetic acid sodium percarbonate carbamide peroxide sodium persulfate and any combination thereof in at least one embodiment the ph is lowered by the addition of an acid selected from the list consisting of sulfuric acid hcl h 3 po 4.