Chlorination is widely used to ensure microbial safety in drinking water, but also leads to the formation of potentially harmful disinfection byproducts (DBPs). DBP precursor removal is the most effective way to reduce their formation. Regulations often assume that reducing certain regulated DBPs, such as trihalomethanes (THMs), also reduces other unregulated DBPs. However, recent studies have shown that formation of novel sulfonated DBPs (sDBPs), a class of highly polar DBPs widely detected in disinfected tap water, can be decoupled from regulated THM formation, likely due to differences in their precursor compounds. In this study, we investigated the removal of natural organic matter (NOM), the primary DBP precursor, from ground- and surface waters using an anion-exchange membrane adsorber (AEX-MA) and conventional granular activated carbon (GAC). In humic-rich water, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) reduction was higher after AEX-MA treatment (∼85%), while GAC reduced DOC by only 43%. In contrast, for waters with more low-molecular-weight and non-polar compounds, GAC removal was higher at about 61%, than AEX-MA, which removed around 32% DOC. Both methods synergistically reduced the formation of THMs and sDBPs by up to 93% and 84%, respectively. Limited bromide removal led to shifts in Br⁻:DOC ratios after treatment, resulting in increased bromide incorporation into the DBPs. Reductions in chlorinated THM and sDBP species closely correlated with bulk DOC removal, indicating effective removal of precursors for both. CHOS-containing NOM, a potential sDBP precursor class of NOM compounds, was not preferentially removed by either treatment. Overall, although sDBP formation can be decoupled from THMs in untreated waters, bulk NOM removal reduces both, indicating that AEX-MA and GAC as THM-targeted treatment strategies may also reduce sDBP formation.