A hydrocarbon-in-water purification system for breaking hydrocarbon-in-water emulsions and separating hydrocarbons from water, comprising: a hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion source, wherein the emulsion comprises at least 500 ppm hydrocarbon; an anion exchange stage comprising an anion exchange resin and an inlet, a water permeate outlet, and a hydrocarbon outlet, the inlet is in fluid communication with the hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion source; and a hydrocarbon absorber stage in liquid communication with the water permeate outlet and downstream of the anion exchange stage, the hydrocarbon absorber stage comprising: a high capacity absorber stage comprising high capacity material wherein when the hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion is a 2500 ppm 5% biodiesel blend-in-water emulsion, the high capacity material has a saturation capacity (q sat) of greater than 750 mg of hydrocarbons per gram of material, the saturation capacity (q sat) being determined using a linearized form of the empirical Freundlich isotherm expression log 10 q sat = log 10 K f + 1 / n log 10 c e, where c e, being the equilibrium hydrocarbon concentration in the water, is 2500 ppm, and log 10 K f and 1/n are the Freundlich isotherm constants; and a polishing absorber stage in liquid communication and downstream of the high capacity absorber stage and comprising polishing activated carbon material wherein when the hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion is a 2500 ppm 5% biodiesel blend-in-water emulsion, the polishing activated carbon material has a polishing capacity (qt) of greater than 25 mg of hydrocarbons per gram of material, the polishing capacity (qt) being determined using a linearized form of the empirical Freundlich isotherm expression log 10 q t = log 10 K f + 1 / n log 10 c e, where c e,being the equilibrium hydrocarbon concentration in the water, is 2 ppm or less, and log 10 K f and 1/n are the Freundlich isotherm constants, wherein absorption includes absorption and adsorption, and wherein the hydrocarbon absorber stage forms a polished water stream comprising less than 5 ppm hydrocarbon. a hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion source, wherein the emulsion comprises at least 500 ppm hydrocarbon; an anion exchange stage comprising an anion exchange resin and an inlet, a water permeate outlet, and a hydrocarbon outlet, the inlet is in fluid communication with the hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion source; and a hydrocarbon absorber stage in liquid communication with the water permeate outlet and downstream of the anion exchange stage, the hydrocarbon absorber stage comprising: a high capacity absorber stage comprising high capacity material wherein when the hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion is a 2500 ppm 5% biodiesel blend-in-water emulsion, the high capacity material has a saturation capacity (q sat) of greater than 750 mg of hydrocarbons per gram of material, the saturation capacity (q sat) being determined using a linearized form of the empirical Freundlich isotherm expression log 10 q sat = log 10 K f + 1 / n log 10 c e, where c e, being the equilibrium hydrocarbon concentration in the water, is 2500 ppm, and log 10 K f and 1/n are the Freundlich isotherm constants; and a polishing absorber stage in liquid communication and downstream of the high capacity absorber stage and comprising polishing activated carbon material wherein when the hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion is a 2500 ppm 5% biodiesel blend-in-water emulsion, the polishing activated carbon material has a polishing capacity (qt) of greater than 25 mg of hydrocarbons per gram of material, the polishing capacity (qt) being determined using a linearized form of the empirical Freundlich isotherm expression log 10 q t = log 10 K f + 1 / n log 10 c e, where c e,being the equilibrium hydrocarbon concentration in the water, is 2 ppm or less, and log 10 K f and 1/n are the Freundlich isotherm constants, wherein absorption includes absorption and adsorption, and wherein the hydrocarbon absorber stage forms a polished water stream comprising less than 5 ppm hydrocarbon. a high capacity absorber stage comprising high capacity material wherein when the hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion is a 2500 ppm 5% biodiesel blend-in-water emulsion, the high capacity material has a saturation capacity (q sat) of greater than 750 mg of hydrocarbons per gram of material, the saturation capacity (q sat) being determined using a linearized form of the empirical Freundlich isotherm expression log 10 q sat = log 10 K f + 1 / n log 10 c e, where c e, being the equilibrium hydrocarbon concentration in the water, is 2500 ppm, and log 10 K f and 1/n are the Freundlich isotherm constants; and a polishing absorber stage in liquid communication and downstream of the high capacity absorber stage and comprising polishing activated carbon material wherein when the hydrocarbon-in-water emulsion is a 2500 ppm 5% biodiesel blend-in-water emulsion, the polishing activated carbon material has a polishing capacity (qt) of greater than 25 mg of hydrocarbons per gram of material, the polishing capacity (qt) being determined using a linearized form of the empirical Freundlich isotherm expression log 10 q t = log 10 K f + 1 / n log 10 c e, where c e,being the equilibrium hydrocarbon concentration in the water, is 2 ppm or less, and log 10 K f and 1/n are the Freundlich isotherm constants, wherein absorption includes absorption and adsorption, and wherein the hydrocarbon absorber stage forms a polished water stream comprising less than 5 ppm hydrocarbon.