Riverbank Filtration

For more than 100 years, riverbank filtration (RBF) has been used to produce drinking water by inducing surface water to flow downward through sediment and into a pumping well. During this process, potential contaminants are filtered from the water, significantly improving water quality. Written by over thirty experts from the United States and Europe, this book explores three themes - the mechanics behind RBF, its ability to remove contaminants from surface water, and critical research needs. Individual chapter topics range from the occurrence and fate of pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products at RBF sites to using RBF as a pre-treatment for nanofiltration membranes. This book describes the current and state-of-the-art applications of RBF technology as currently practised in two continents. No other resource like it exists. Its purpose is to show that RBF is a low-cost and efficient alternative water treatment process for dinking-water applications.