Abstract
The paper gives an overview on the changes in water quality during riverbank filtration (RBF) in Budapest. As water from the Danube River is of high quality, no problems occur during regular operation of RBF systems. Additionally, water quality improved through the past three decades due to the implementation of communal wastewater treatment plants and the decline of extensive use of artificial fertilizers in agriculture. Algae counts are used as tracer indicators to identify input of surface water into wells and to make decisions regarding shutdowns during floods. RBF systems have a high buffering capacity and resistance against accidental spills of contaminants in the river, which was proven during the red mud spill in October 2010. The removal rate of microorganisms was between 1.5 log and 3.5 log efficiency and is in the same order as for other RBF sites worldwide.
Highlights
Riverbank filtration (RBF) is a widely used natural water treatment process where, by definition, at least 50% of treated water must originate from surface water
The mean electrical conductivity (EC) is very similar for the Danube River water and well groups on Szentendre Island, indicating a high portion of bank filtrate, which has been calculated from groundwater flow modeling as 60–80% [17]
Values in bank filtrate, which are significantly higher than those of the river water are only observed on Csepel Island, where industrial and agricultural activities even outside of the well head protection zones are still affecting the water quality in some wells
Summary
Riverbank filtration (RBF) is a widely used natural water treatment process where, by definition, at least 50% of treated water must originate from surface water. It has been observed that the surface water source, the hydrogeological characteristics of the aquifer, the protected watershed area and the particularities of production play an important role on the quality of the produced water [1,2,3]. RBF offers many advantages concerning improvement of water quality. This type of ecosystem service is used in many watersheds globally, including India, China, USA and Germany. RBF along the Danube River has been used for water supply in Budapest for over 150 years [4].
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