Removal of E.Coli and turbidity using riverbank filtration technique (RBF) for riverside alluvial soil in Malaysia

Riverbank filtration (RBF) is an efficient and low-cost natural alternative filtration technology for water supply application. In this method, the surface water contaminants are removed or degraded as the infiltrating water moves from the river to the abstraction wells. As the induced surface water filters through the riverbed sediments and aquifer materials, most suspended and dissolved contaminants, including pathogenic bacteria and viruses are filtered out. It has been applied for more than 100 years in Europe and the United States to provide drinking water to the communities. However, this technology is new and not well explored in Malaysia. In order to understand and develop further knowledge on RBF, USM research team has embarked on the study of RBF at different locations in Malaysia. Three pilot projects of RBF facilities were constructed in the states of Selangor, Perak and Kedah. The aim of this study was to analyze the quality of bank-filtered water in terms of turbidity and E.Coli removal from the studied areas. During the study, riverbank-filtered water and river water samples were collected during pumping test and analyzed in the field and at the laboratory. Turbidity in the range of 15.6-260 NTU in river water was reduced to 0.01-12.5 NTU in pumping well for all sites. The removal for E.Coli was found to be almost 100% for all sampling time during the pumping test programme