Developing a viable concept for sustainable arsenic removal from groundwater in remote area: findings of pilot trials in rural Bihar, India

Arsenic contamination of groundwater is posing a serious challenge to the drinking water supply, particularly in the large alluvial and deltaic tracts of south-eastern Asia, which are densely populated, and rely on shallow aquifers for potable water. In order to find a solution for this issue, an arsenic treatment unit was developed based on the reverse osmosis principle, including an energy recovery unit to lower the energy consumption for the system. This unit promises big advantages in handling arsenic contamination in groundwater. Initial tests have been successfully conducted under laboratory conditions and, subsequent to them, pilot studies have been carried out in Bind Toli, a village located in the rural area of Bihar, India.