University of Rhode Island DigitalCommons@URI Open Access Master's Theses 2011 A RIVERBANK FILTRATION DEMONSTRATION PROJECT ON THE KALI RIVER, DANDELI, KARNATAKA, INDIA Pamela Cady University of Rhode Island, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/theses Recommended Citation Cady, Pamela, "A RIVERBANK FILTRATION DEMONSTRATION PROJECT ON THE KALI RIVER, DANDELI, KARNATAKA, INDIA" (2011). Open Access Master's Theses. Paper 66. https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/theses/66 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@URI. It has been accepted for inclusion in Open Access Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@URI. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A RIVERBANK FILTRATION DEMONSTRATION PROJECT ON THE KALI RIVER, DANDELI, KARNATAKA, INDIA BY PAMELA CADY THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 2011 MASTER OF SCIENCE OF PAMELA CADY APPROVED: Thesis Committee: Major Professor_____ Dr. Thomas B. Boving________ _____ Dr. Anne I. Veeger___________ _____ Dr. Vinka Craver_____________ _____ Dr. Nasser H. Zawia__________ DEAN OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 2011 ABSTRACT A small scale RBF system was installed in a village near the Kali River in the state of Karnataka to evaluate the performance of riverbank filtration (RBF) under the hydrogeological and climatological conditions of southern India. A series of hydraulic and tracer tests were carried out along with periodic biological and geochemical monitoring of various water sources in the study area. Hydrogen and oxygen isotopes highlight the impact of evaporation and irrigation at nearby rice paddies on the RBF production well. Dissolved silica data used to determine the relative contributions of surface and groundwater indicate that this RBF system derives approximately 28% of its water from the river. Even with nearly ¾ of the RBF water coming from groundwater, bacteria and metals data indicate that groundwater dilution does not appear to play a major role in pollutant reduction. Instead, other RBF removal processes, such as biodegradation and redox chemistry, are at work in the system. Bacteria levels demonstrate at least 88% to >99% removal over currently used source waters. Despite this, Indian drinking water standards for E. coli are not consistently met and total coliform standards are never met in the RBF system. Bacteria levels are higher during the three month monsoon season. Average dissolved metal levels meet Indian standards for all metals analyzed. A community survey carried out before and after RBF installation shows significantly improved health indicators amongst RBF water users. In summary, this pilot-scale project demonstrates an RBF system that is welcomed by the host community and provides water of higher quality than other water sources in this study area. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my extremely patient major advisor, Dr. Tom Boving, for organizing the project, getting funding, helping me prepare for and be in the field, discussing the project, reading many thesis drafts and giving many helpful comments. Thank you also for the assistance I received on project planning, drafts, and in the lab from Dr. Anne Veeger. Thank you to my third thesis committee member, Dr. Vinka Craver, who also gave me useful ideas and comments for the project. I am grateful to Dr. Katie Kelley, at the URI Graduate School of Oceanography, who taught me how to run samples on the ICP-MS and answered many questions on metals analysis. Thank you Elizabeth Herron, with the Watershed Watch Program at URI’s Department of Natural Resources for helping me in multiple ways with bacteriological data collection and analysis questions. Drs. Assem Albomaaty and Aftab Ahmed, with URI’s Department of Microbiology, gave assistance with bacteria monitoring and information. I would like to thank Heather Cook for helping me with lab work. Thanks, also, to Anne Fernandez, with URI’s Department of Psychology, for tutoring me on statistical data analysis. I received invaluable help not only from within the URI community, but from outside of the URI campus, as well. I am grateful to Dr. Bheemanagoud Sahebagoud Choudri, Kavita Hawaldar Patil, Veerabaswant Reddy, Shabana Mehmood Kazi and the rest of the staff at The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in Panaji, Goa, for their assistance with organizing the project, translating while in the field, collecting and entering data, and introducing and welcoming me to their homes and their homeland in India. Thank you to Amanda Davis with Aquatic Ecologic for gathering iii data in the field. Thank you to many of the professors, staff, and students at Bangurnagar Arts, Science, and Commerce College (‘Dandeli College’), especially to Professors Shanbagh, Shenvi, Sabhahit, Holi, Achari, Wajve, Triveni, Raikar, and to students and graduates Ataur Saleem Rehaman Khazi, Prasanna Namannavar, Mahesh Naik, Jeevan Kumar Naik, Laxshmikant Tigadi, and Jeevan Suryavanshi. Thank you also, to Barkat Ali for his good cheer and competent driving. Thank you to the residents of Bada Khanshera, Halmaddi, Harnouda, Kariyampalli, Kerwad, Mainal, Moulangi, and Saksali for taking part in the project. Thank you also to Mr. Gundup Patil and Mr. Sunil Gunupkar Patil and their families for hosting us and allowing us to spend so much time on their land. Thank you, also, to the World Bank Development Marketplace Program for funding the project and to Dr. Preeti Kudesia from the New Delhi World Bank office for visiting the field site and giving helpful suggestions for the project. Thank you to the following staff members of various offices around Dandeli for allowing us access to their data: Mr. Vernekar at Panchayat Raj Engineering and V.G. Parasi at Taluka Mandal Panchayat for drill log data, and G.H. Palek at the Haliyal Community Health Center and Vidhya Nayak, D.R. Raikar, Ravi Kumar, and Prima Bawaji at the Dandeli General Hospital for health data. Lastly, thank you to my family, friends, and members of the Department of Geosciences community for helping me learn and grow and enjoy my time during graduate school. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................... iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................ v LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................ vii LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................... viii LIST OF APPENDICES ................................................................................................ ix LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ......................................................................................... x INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 1 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT ............................................................................ 2 Safe Drinking Water .................................................................................................... 2 Industrial Pollutants ..................................................................................................... 4 Groundwater Depletion ............................................................................................... 5 Proposed Solution ........................................................................................................ 7 OBJECTIVE ................................................................................................................. 10 LOCATION .................................................................................................................. 11 Geography ................................................................................................................. 11 Geology ..................................................................................................................... 11 Field Site .................................................................................................................... 12 PREVIOUS STUDIES .................................................................................................. 14 Kali River Water Quality ........................................................................................... 14 Riverbank Filtration Sites .......................................................................................... 14 METHODS / PROCEDURES ...................................................................................... 16 Field Methods ............................................................................................................ 16 RBF Wellfield ........................................................................................................ 16 Field Parameters .................................................................................................... 16 Bacteria .................................................................................................................. 17 Sample Collection .................................................................................................