Chapter 19. Remediation of Drinking Water for Rural Populations

Nitrate is the most common nitrogen contaminant in raw water supplies. In rural areas agricultural activities that involve the use of fertilizers and animal manures are major sources of nitrate contamination. Several processes are currently available that can effectively remove nitrate from raw water. Systems that are suitable for small rural communities include reverse osmosis, ion exchange, and electrodialysis. However, all of these systems move nitrate from raw water and concentrate it in a reject water or brine. Disposal of the reject water can be a major expense as well as an environmental issue. Several emerging systems are under development that convert nitrate to harmless nitrogen gas. These include biological denitrification systems and catalytic systems. The ability of these systems to convert the nitrate to nitrogen gas is a major advantage