Effectiveness of River Bed Filtration
in Pollutant Removal Along the River
Tel, India
Rajiv Lochan Sahu, Rakesh Roshan Dash, Pradip Kumar Pradhan,
and Sourava Sahu
Abstract Riverbank filtration (RBF) is a cost-effective water treatment technology.
In this method, infiltrated surface water is extracted through a pumping well which is
located nearby alluvial aquifer. In the process of infiltration surface water is treated by
various mechanisms like biological, chemical, and physical processes; hence, water
extracted from pumping well is free from pollutants. Although riverbank filtration
(RBF) was used extensively in United States and Europe, but there are no proven
scientific researches done related to RBF use in Odisha. This paper is aimed to
present a concise summary of the theoretical foundations of the RBF technique and
its benefits. The paper also reports the effectiveness of bed filtration in reducing
turbidity, phosphates, coliform, and nitrates from water of River Tel at Belagaon,
Balangir District, in Odisha.
Keywords RBF · Turbidity · Phosphates · Coli form and nitrates
1 Introduction
Riverbank filtration provides a sustainable and cost-effective means which improves
the quality of surface water [1]. Mechanisms like physicochemical filtration,
biodegradation, and sorption usually occur in the aquifer and the river bed, during
river bank filtration process. RBF helps in attenuating the pollutants like micropollutants, parasites, viruses, bacteria, suspended particles, and other organic, and inorganic compounds usually present in surface water [2, 3]. Some researchers studied
R. L. Sahu (B) · R. R. Dash · P. K. Pradhan · S. Sahu
Department of Civil Engineering, Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology, Burla, Odisha,
India
e-mail: robinsahu1@gmail.com
R. R. Dash
e-mail: rrdash@gmail.com
P. K. Pradhan
e-mail: pkpradhan1@yahoo.co.in
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
C. Bhuiyan et al. (eds.), Water Security and Sustainability,
Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering 115,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-9805-0_18
217
in Pollutant Removal Along the River
Tel, India
Rajiv Lochan Sahu, Rakesh Roshan Dash, Pradip Kumar Pradhan,
and Sourava Sahu
Abstract Riverbank filtration (RBF) is a cost-effective water treatment technology.
In this method, infiltrated surface water is extracted through a pumping well which is
located nearby alluvial aquifer. In the process of infiltration surface water is treated by
various mechanisms like biological, chemical, and physical processes; hence, water
extracted from pumping well is free from pollutants. Although riverbank filtration
(RBF) was used extensively in United States and Europe, but there are no proven
scientific researches done related to RBF use in Odisha. This paper is aimed to
present a concise summary of the theoretical foundations of the RBF technique and
its benefits. The paper also reports the effectiveness of bed filtration in reducing
turbidity, phosphates, coliform, and nitrates from water of River Tel at Belagaon,
Balangir District, in Odisha.
Keywords RBF · Turbidity · Phosphates · Coli form and nitrates
1 Introduction
Riverbank filtration provides a sustainable and cost-effective means which improves
the quality of surface water [1]. Mechanisms like physicochemical filtration,
biodegradation, and sorption usually occur in the aquifer and the river bed, during
river bank filtration process. RBF helps in attenuating the pollutants like micropollutants, parasites, viruses, bacteria, suspended particles, and other organic, and inorganic compounds usually present in surface water [2, 3]. Some researchers studied
R. L. Sahu (B) · R. R. Dash · P. K. Pradhan · S. Sahu
Department of Civil Engineering, Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology, Burla, Odisha,
India
e-mail: robinsahu1@gmail.com
R. R. Dash
e-mail: rrdash@gmail.com
P. K. Pradhan
e-mail: pkpradhan1@yahoo.co.in
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
C. Bhuiyan et al. (eds.), Water Security and Sustainability,
Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering 115,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-9805-0_18
217