Sustainable Water Treatment with Induced Bank Filtration
This study demonstrates that an induced bank filter (IBF) system can treat raw water polluted with <i>Escherichia coli</i> (<i>E. coli</i>) bacteria. Similar to riverbank filtration (RBF), induced or reversed bank filtration relies on natural processes to clean water, includi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Water |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/15/2/361 |
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| author | Miles Schelling Kavita Patil Thomas B. Boving |
| author_facet | Miles Schelling Kavita Patil Thomas B. Boving |
| author_sort | Miles Schelling |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study demonstrates that an induced bank filter (IBF) system can treat raw water polluted with <i>Escherichia coli</i> (<i>E. coli</i>) bacteria. Similar to riverbank filtration (RBF), induced or reversed bank filtration relies on natural processes to clean water, including filtration through layers of allochthone alluvial sediments and a bioactive layer that forms on top of the filter after a ripening period. At the study site, located in Southwestern India, villagers rely on a mountain spring for their water supply. Although of generally high quality, the spring water contains <i>E. coli</i> bacteria (up to ~2000 MPN/100 mL). Raw water diverted from this spring was gravity-fed into the IBF system, which consisted of a (1) flow regulator, (2) pre-filter and (3) the actual IBF filter. Designed and constructed based on pilot testing of prototype filters, a full-scale filter (5 m by 7 m by 2 m) was built and its performance and maintenance requirements were studied during both the monsoon season and the dry season. The data show that the IBF significantly improved the water quality. Turbidity and <i>E. coli</i> concentrations were reduced to or below the detection limit (approximately 2.5 log unit reduction). During the peak of the monsoon season (August), <i>E. coli</i> was present in the IBF effluent after a storm destroyed the cover of the IBF tank. The IBF construction and maintenance costs were documented. Extrapolated over a 10-year period, the cost of IBF water was 3 and 10 times lower than reverse osmosis or water supplied by truck, respectively. This study demonstrates that IBF can be part of an affordable water supply system for rural villages in mountainous terrain where conventional RBF systems cannot be installed or where other water treatment technologies are out of financial reach. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T11:00:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-827958daf20a4aac8171b72a66ef1f73 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4441 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T11:00:15Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water |
| spelling | doaj.art-827958daf20a4aac8171b72a66ef1f732023-12-01T01:18:46ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412023-01-0115236110.3390/w15020361Sustainable Water Treatment with Induced Bank FiltrationMiles Schelling0Kavita Patil1Thomas B. Boving2The Aquaya Institute, P.O. Box 21862-00505, Nairobi 00100, KenyaTERI—The Energy Research Institute, Western Regional Center, Alto-St. Cruz, Tiswadi 403202, IndiaDepartment of Geosciences & Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Rhode Island, 9 East Alumni Avenue, Kingston, RI 02881, USAThis study demonstrates that an induced bank filter (IBF) system can treat raw water polluted with <i>Escherichia coli</i> (<i>E. coli</i>) bacteria. Similar to riverbank filtration (RBF), induced or reversed bank filtration relies on natural processes to clean water, including filtration through layers of allochthone alluvial sediments and a bioactive layer that forms on top of the filter after a ripening period. At the study site, located in Southwestern India, villagers rely on a mountain spring for their water supply. Although of generally high quality, the spring water contains <i>E. coli</i> bacteria (up to ~2000 MPN/100 mL). Raw water diverted from this spring was gravity-fed into the IBF system, which consisted of a (1) flow regulator, (2) pre-filter and (3) the actual IBF filter. Designed and constructed based on pilot testing of prototype filters, a full-scale filter (5 m by 7 m by 2 m) was built and its performance and maintenance requirements were studied during both the monsoon season and the dry season. The data show that the IBF significantly improved the water quality. Turbidity and <i>E. coli</i> concentrations were reduced to or below the detection limit (approximately 2.5 log unit reduction). During the peak of the monsoon season (August), <i>E. coli</i> was present in the IBF effluent after a storm destroyed the cover of the IBF tank. The IBF construction and maintenance costs were documented. Extrapolated over a 10-year period, the cost of IBF water was 3 and 10 times lower than reverse osmosis or water supplied by truck, respectively. This study demonstrates that IBF can be part of an affordable water supply system for rural villages in mountainous terrain where conventional RBF systems cannot be installed or where other water treatment technologies are out of financial reach.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/15/2/361bank filtration<i>E. coli</i>water treatmentIndiasustainabilityrural community water |
| spellingShingle | Miles Schelling Kavita Patil Thomas B. Boving Sustainable Water Treatment with Induced Bank Filtration Water bank filtration <i>E. coli</i> water treatment India sustainability rural community water |
| title | Sustainable Water Treatment with Induced Bank Filtration |
| title_full | Sustainable Water Treatment with Induced Bank Filtration |
| title_fullStr | Sustainable Water Treatment with Induced Bank Filtration |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sustainable Water Treatment with Induced Bank Filtration |
| title_short | Sustainable Water Treatment with Induced Bank Filtration |
| title_sort | sustainable water treatment with induced bank filtration |
| topic | bank filtration <i>E. coli</i> water treatment India sustainability rural community water |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/15/2/361 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT milesschelling sustainablewatertreatmentwithinducedbankfiltration AT kavitapatil sustainablewatertreatmentwithinducedbankfiltration AT thomasbboving sustainablewatertreatmentwithinducedbankfiltration |