You are here:
A PERSPECTIVE OF RIVERBANK FILTRATION
Citation:
Ray, C., T. Grischek, J. Schubert, J. Wang, AND T F. Speth*. A PERSPECTIVE OF RIVERBANK FILTRATION. Lacey, M. (ed.), JOURNAL OF AMERICAN WATER WORKS ASSOCIATION. American Water Works Association, Denver, CO, 94(4):149-260, (2002).
Description:
Riverbank filtration is a process in which pumping of wells located along riverbanks induce a portion of the river water to flow toward the pumping wells. The process has many similarities to the slow sand filtration process. River water contaminants are attenuated due to a combination of processes such as filtration, microbial degradation, sorption to sediments and aquifer sand, and dilution with background groundwater. Riverbank filtration wells have been operating in Europe since the 1870's. In the US, they have been operating at selected locations for nearly 50 years. More recently, there has been a renewed interest among large to medium-size utilities to employ bank filtration as a mechanism of water production to reduce treatment costs and to meet the regulations on disinfection by-products. Even for bank filtration systems that are considered groundwater under the direct influence of surface water, it is possible to get filtration credit for pathogens.