Full Description

Riverbank filtration (RBF) offers water suppliers analternative treatment option for the control ofdisinfection byproducts (DBPs) and microbialcontaminants. In the process of RBF, water infiltratesand travels through aquifer sediments, undergoing acombination of physical, chemical, and biologicalprocesses that can significantly improve raw waterquality. Although RBF has been extensively used inEurope for many years, it has only recently attractedinterest and support among US utilities.This study monitored the fate of DBP precursorsand selected microorganisms during RBF at three MidwesternUS drinking water sites. Results demonstratedthat RBF was successful at controlling DBP formationand provided a barrier to microbial contamination ofdrinking water supplies. With RBF, all three sites experiencedsignificant reductions in total organic carbon,dissolved organic carbon, and DBP precursors.The US Environmental Protection Agency is currentlyconsidering assigning Giardia and Cryptosporidiumtreatment credit to RBF in the development of theLong-Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water TreatmentRule. This research gives utilities and legislators datato confirm RBF as an effective treatment option andsupport the application of treatment credits to theprocess. Includes 60 references, tables, figures.

Product Details

Edition: Vol. 95 - No. 10 Published: 10/01/2003 Number of Pages: 14File Size: 1 file , 770 KB