Described herein relates to a filtration media and associated water treatment system and method for removing color from water impacted by dissolved natural organic matter (“NOM”). In an embodiment, the filtration media comprises sand, clay, zero-valent iron (“ZVI”), and perlite, wherein the composition includes between 83% and 90% sand, between 3% and 8% ZVI, between 3% and 6% perlite, and up to 5% clay by percent volume. The media may exhibit a BET surface area between 2.0 and 3.0 m2·g−1, a porosity of at least 25%, a density of at least 2.5 g·cm−3, and a saturated hydraulic conductivity between 10−3 and 10−5 m·s−1. The filtration media may be disposed within a treatment cell and configured to reduce color to below 40 Pt—Co units, including by formation of iron-organic and aluminum-organic complexes during treatment.