The present disclosure relates to improvements in the field of water treatment, and more particularly to the separation step in a water treatment process. There is provided a method of separating contaminants from contaminated water. A fibrous treatment agent is provided into the contaminated water. The fibrous treatment agent has a length of about 100 pm and a diameter of at least 5 pm. The fibrous treatment agent is allowed to associate with the contaminants forming floes comprising a size of at least 1000 pm. The floes are physically separated from the contaminated water.