4th International Symposium on Civil and Environmental Engineering IOP Publishing

IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 1205 (2023) 012008 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1205/1/012008

Assessment of river water quality improvement due to

riverbank filtration (RBF) mechanism

F Baharudin1*, I Zailani1, N Hamzah1, Z Z Mohd Zaki1 and I N Mohamad1

1
School of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450
Shah Alam, Selangor D.E, Malaysia
*Corresponding author: fauzi1956@uitm.edu.my

Abstract. Riverbank filtration (RBF) is a natural process where river water is induced to flow
through riverbed soils to pumping wells located on the banks. It is a well-established
and proven natural water treatment technology by having a series of physical and chemical
processes during subsurface passage. This paper aims at the measurement of physical and
chemical characteristics of river water and groundwater from riverbank filtration wells at Kg.
Jenderam Hilir, Selangor and to assess the effectiveness of riverbank filtration through Water
Quality Index (WQI) for both river water and groundwater. The riverbank filtration is able to
improve quality of water such as reducing the turbidity to 0 NTU, Chemical Oxygen Demand
(COD) to 3.67 mg/l, Suspended Solids (SS) to 6.33 mg/l and several other contents that existed
in the river. In addition, the effectiveness of RBF is also proven based on the improvement of
Water Quality Index (WQI) for Langat river from Class IV to Class III.

1. Introduction
Water quality is one of the important criteria to be assessed for any water resources systems. The need
to understand the cause of pollution which degrade the water quality is vital to ensure a sustainable
supply to the consumers. In order to regulate and maintain the effluent qualities, there are several specific
guidelines were developed [1]. The most prominent method used is by using a numerical index known
as Water Quality Index (WQI). The WQI characterization depend on physical, chemical and biological
features of water samples and grouped in notable variables or parameters. These variables are significant
in detecting variations in water quality and able to give information on the factors that affect the
deterioration of the water quality [2].
There are several parameters that need to be examined and quantified for the WQI and the selection
of the parameters are varied according to standard used in different countries. Most of the common
parameters such as biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), suspended
solids, ammoniacal nitrogen were evaluated based on the nature of catchment or surrounding area [3].
Results from agriculture catchments could present higher nitrogen-based values due to excess of
fertilizers and pesticides [4]. This characteristic is different than the industrialized or urbanized
catchment area due to the variation of pollution sources. The establishment of this quality index will
help in classification of the water resources and proper evaluation can be carried out from time to time.
In order to obtain a good and safe drinking water, various alternative for water treatment methods
should be considered. The methods shall also include site assessment which done in specific timeline so
that the physical, chemical and biological characteristics can be quantified accordingly [5].

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4th International Symposium on Civil and Environmental Engineering IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 1205 (2023) 012008 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1205/1/012008

Conventionally, treatment methods such as reverse osmosis, carbon filtration, sediment filtration and
sand filtration have been used practically and able to produce desirable results.
Apart for the conventional water treatments, there is a filtration system that has not been frequently
used due to its operational scheme which is the riverbank filtration (RBF) [6]. The RBF technology is
seldom used due to its distinctive processes and numbers of water quality assessment and treatment
methods are available [7]. However, the application of such system for consumption in rural areas and
settlements nearby rivers could be more effective and less hassle. It is considered as a natural way that
has been passed down for more than decades and able to provide adequate water supply [8]. Therefore,
the specific objectives for this study are 1) to assess the physical and chemical characteristics of water
samples from the river and groundwater from RBF wells 2) to determine the Water Quality Index (WQI)
for the samples taken from the river and RBF wells.

2. Methodology
The monitoring of water quality is vital in water resources management. Specific characteristics of water
need to be assessed regularly in order to ensure the water is safe for consumption and does not give any
negative impact to human. The common elements being investigated are in terms of chemical, physical,
biological, and characteristics of water and they are linked with numbers of parameters. Department of
Environment (DOE) Malaysia has issued the standard of drinking water that need to be complied and
followed by all supplier, organizations and developer of drinking water business and the compliance to
the standard is very important for a desirable outcome.

2.1. Study area

An existing small-scale RBF site at Jenderam Hilir, Selangor was selected as study area. This site lies
within the Langat River watershed. The Langat River upstream starts from Banjaran Titiwangsa and
drains westward at the downstream to the Straits of Malacca. The Langat River catchment consists of
multiple type of land use including township build up, various commercial development as well as
agricultural activities where known as its dominance. [9]. For this study, two wells namely MW01 and
MW02 have been identified as the sampling points for groundwater extraction and the layout is shown
in figure 1.

Figure 1. Layout of the RBF area.

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4th International Symposium on Civil and Environmental Engineering IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 1205 (2023) 012008 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1205/1/012008

2.2. In Situ data collection

A multi parameter water quality probe was used for measurement of In Situ data. The probe was
submerged directly into river for measurement. The parameters measured by using this instrument were
pH, dissolved oxygen and turbidity.
For the sampling of water that comes through riverbank filtration, a pump which is operated by
generator was used in order to discharge the water from the well and then the water was poured into a
bucket. Two wells were identified for this study, namely MW01 and MW02. Similar procedure was
conducted to the water extracted from the wells from measurement of sampling river water parameters.
The pH, turbidity and dissolved oxygen appeared on the instrument screen and all values were recorded.

2.3. Laboratory testing

Laboratory measurements were conducted for parameters that cannot be established by in-situ tests. The
parameters are ammoniacal nitrogen (AN), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen
demand (COD) and suspended solids. All tests were done in accordance to the standard laboratory
testing methods [10].
The AN test in laboratory was done by mixing samples with specific chemicals such as Polyvinyl
Alcohol Dispersing Agent and Mineral Stabilizer. A spectrophotometer was then used to get the values
of AN for every samples. Similarly, COD test required spectrophotometer for the final results. The
samples were mixed in a premix vials which contain chemicals for oxidation reaction. The time taken
for the test to complete was approximately two hours.
The suspended solids test was relatively easy to be conducted in the laboratory. 10 ml of sample was
used in order to get the reading by using spectrophotometer. Finally, the BOD test in laboratory was
done by measuring the reduction of dissolved oxygen in samples. The samples were stored in a standard
BOD Bottle in an incubator for five days. The content of dissolved oxygen in the bottle was measured
for Day 1 and Day 5 and the BOD values was calculated.

2.4. Determination of Water Quality Index (WQI)

All parameters were analyzed and classification of the quality of river and groundwater samples were
calculated according to the Malaysian National Water Quality Standards as shown in equation (1) [11].
This equation will give an idea about the quality of the water samples and provide information on the
water quality improvement through riverbank filtration.

= (0.22 × ) + (0.19 × ) + (0.16 × ) + (0.15 × ) (1)

+ (0.16 × ) + (0.12 × )

Where;
SIDO = Subindex DO
SIBOD = Sub index BOD
SICOD = Sub index COD
SIAN = Sub index AN
SISS = Sub index SS
SIPH = Sub index PH

3. Results
All sampling was done at Langat river for assessment of river water and groundwater extracted through
riverbank filtration wells namely MW01 and MW02. The groundwater samples were taken included
before pumping (BP) and after pumping (AP) for two (2) hours. Table 1 shows the overall results from
the measurement of river and groundwater samples at the study area.
Based on the results obtained, it showed that the Langat river has high turbidity with 230.7 NTU.
However, through the riverbank filtration, the turbidity has decreased to 56.9 NTU for MW01 and 22.4
NTU for MW02 before pumping and 0 NTU for both wells after pumping. This has demonstrated the
effectiveness of the filtration on the physical characteristics of water. In terms of pH levels, the result

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4th International Symposium on Civil and Environmental Engineering IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 1205 (2023) 012008 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1205/1/012008

has shown that the river has pH level of 6.23 which is in neutral state. In comparison with the pH levels
in both wells, there is not much difference. Both wells indicated to have pH of a neutral condition with
6.01 before pumping and 6.54 after pumping for MW01. In MW02, the pH before and after pumping
were 6.42 and 6.49 respectively. This could be a good characteristic as less costly additional treatment
could be avoided for the groundwater samples.

Table 1. Results of water quality parameters measured at the study area.

MW01 MW02
PARAMETERS River Before Before
After Pumping After Pumping
Pumping Pumping
Turbidity (NTU) 230.7 56.9 0 22.4 0
pH 6.23 6.01 6.54 6.42 6.49
Dissolved Oxygen
10.30 6.47 6.27 7.69 7.53
(mg/L)
Chemical Oxygen
11.67 10.33 4.33 7.00 3.67
Demand (COD) (mg/L)
Biochemical Oxygen
6.76 2.30 0.92 2.82 2.10
Demand (BOD) (mg/L)
Suspended Solids
89.30 39.00 10.33 9.70 6.33
(mg/L)
Ammoniacal Nitrogen
3.05 3.20 2.68 8.31 3.20
(mg/L)

The results of dissolved oxygen (DO) for Langat river was found higher than both wells with
measurement of 10.3 mg/L. DO level for MW01 before pumping was 6.47 mg/L and after pumping was
6.27 mg/L which has decreased 0.2 mg/L. As for well MW02, the DO level before pumping was 7.69
mg/L which was higher than after pumping (7.53 mg/L). The difference in temperature could be the
probable factor for reduced DO levels in both wells as the warm water molecules may provide more
oxygen movement in between spaces. High content of microorganisms in the river coming from various
sources such as pollutants and untreated effluents could as well be the reason of abundance of dissolved
oxygen in which needed for the natural biological activities that occurs in the river
The Langat river has shown a value of COD content with 11.67 mg/l which can be considered
acceptable within the stipulated standard. Samples of groundwater from both wells have indicated that
the COD levels were much less with the range of 4.33 mg/l to 10.33 for MW01 and 3.67 mg/l to 7 mg/l
for MW02. It can be noted that slight difference could be seen for the condition of samples before and
after pumping. Nonetheless, the reduction of COD levels from river to the RBF wells remain to be in
optimistic feat with a good potential of improvement.
Next is the results for BOD. Sample taken from the Langat river has indicated that the BOD was 6.76
mg/L while sample from well MW01 before pumping and after pumping are 2.30 mg/L and 0.92 mg/L
respectively. Groundwater samples from well MW02 before pumping and after pumping have shown
values of 2.82 mg/L and 2.10 mg/L respectively. In comparison to the sample from the Langat river,
both groundwater samples have indicated an improvement in terms of BOD level. The results of
suspended solids have shown that the highest value came from the river which was 89.30 mg/L.
Meanwhile the value of suspended solid for well MW01 before pumping is 39 mg/L and for point MW01
after pumping is 10.33 mg/L which indicated decrease in values for suspended solids. For point MW02
before pumping and after pumping are 9.70 mg/L and 6.33 mg/L respectively.
Finally, is the ammoniacal nitrogen (AN). The results showed that the river has AN value of 3.05
mg/L which can be considered as high content in normal condition. The AN level at well MW01 before
pumping and after pumping has not indicated significant improvement with values of 3.20 mg/L and
2.68 mg/L respectively. The results of AN at well MW02 have also shown quite high values with 8.31
mg/L before pumping and 3.20 mg/L after pumping. The high amount of AN within this study area

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4th International Symposium on Civil and Environmental Engineering IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 1205 (2023) 012008 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1205/1/012008

could be contributed by the excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides over the years [12]. The local
people has actively developed the land for small agricultural activities such as fruits and vegetables
plantation.
The results from the water quality parameters examined earlier were then used to calculate the WQI.
The calculation of the sub index for six parameters namely DO, BOD, COD, AN, SS and pH are needed
for the final WQI classification. The full results are shown in table 2.
Table 2. Results of Water Quality Index (WQI) for all samples.

Type of
SIDO SIBOD SICOD SIAN SISS SIPH WQI Class Category
sources
River 2.57 73.79 83.58 11.12 57.78 94.08 50.16 IV Polluted
MW01
0 90.67 74.04 9.02 76.85 91.03 53.65 III Polluted
(BP)
MW01 Slightly
0 96.51 93.34 16.84 91.44 97.28 62.10 III
(AP) polluted
MW02
0 88.47 89.79 0 91.80 96.20 57.41 III Polluted
(BP)
MW02 Slightly
0 91.52 94.22 9.02 93.73 96.85 60.44 III
(AP) polluted

The results have shown that the WQI for Langat river is 50.16 which is considered as polluted and fall
on Class IV. Looking at all groundwater samples from well MW01 and MW02, there is an indication of
improvement with the increased index for well MW01 before pumping is 53.65 and after pumping result
is 62.10 which is considered as slightly polluted. The index of samples from well MW02 have also
shown improvement with the before pumping result is 57.41 and after pumping is 60.44 which is also
considered as slightly polluted.
The improvement in WQI values of samples extracted from the wells has indicated that the water
that passes through the riverbank has experienced a significant treatment process. The continuous
movement of flow within pore spaces in the hyporheic region could help to remove impurities in water.
It has shown that most of the physical characteristics such as turbidity and suspended solids could be
improved. Furthermore, apart from physical filtration, the reduce of contamination content is also done
by several other processes inclusive of bacterial deterioration, ion altercation, precipitation, and dilution
[13]. Additional causes are the quality of the surface water and the groundwater, the soil permeability
and activity within the hyporheic regions at the riverbank, the time taken for the groundwater to reside
in the aquifer, and common features such as temperature, pH value of water as well as oxygen
absorptions.

4. Conclusion and recommendation

The elements of physical and chemical characteristics of river water and groundwater extracted from
the RBF wells have been identified. There has been significant improvement on several parameters from
poor to better quality due to natural processes that occur within the riverbank area. It is evident that the
investigation on the effectiveness of bank filtration for river water and groundwater is successfully
established through of the values of Water Quality Index. The Langat river has been classified as Class
IV and able to be improved to Class III based on the samples extracted from the wells at the riverbank.
There are several recommendations that can be put forward for consideration to improve the
outcomes of this study. The duration for groundwater pumping could be increased for more than two
hours. By having additional time and extensive data, the analysis will provide better assessment in terms
of physical and chemical characterization. The RBF efficiency is also prone to dissolved organic matter
and colloidal elements disturbances in the well. Therefore, careful investigation on the well conditions

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4th International Symposium on Civil and Environmental Engineering IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 1205 (2023) 012008 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1205/1/012008

should be carried out periodically to ensure it is not contaminated by other foreign substances. It is also
recommended to have more variations of distances from the riverbank to the RBF wells. Long distances
could enhance the overall process that occurs within the subsurface as the flow will be able to have more
time to travel. With the increased travel time, biological process will take place and could provide better
improvement on certain water quality characteristics.

5. References
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[3] Mazli N A E, Mohd Zaki Z Z and Baharudin F 2022 Preliminary assessment on water quality of
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[4] Baharudin F, Kassim J, Mohd Imran S N and Ab Wahab M 2021 Water Quality Index (WQI)
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[6] Tyagi S, Dobhal R, Kimothi P C, Adhlaka L K, Singh P and Uniyal D P 2013 Studies of river
water quality using riverbank filtration in Uttarakhand, India, Water Qual., Exposure
Health 5 139-148
[7] Jaramillo M 2012 Riverbank filtration: An efficient and economical drinking-water treatment
technology, Dyna 171 148–157
[8] Kuehn W and Mueller U 2000 Riverbank filtration: An overview, J. Am. Water. Works Assn.
92(12) 60-69
[9] Mohamed A F, Wan Yaacob W Z, Taha M R and Samsudin A R 2009 Groundwater and soil
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[10] APHA 2017 Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater 23rd Ed.
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[11] Department of Environment Malaysia 2020 Malaysia Environmental Quality Report 2020 (Kuala
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Appl. Water Sci. 7(3) 1043-1067

Acknowledgements
The authors would like to express special thanks to the School of Civil Engineering, College of
Engineering UiTM for all support rendered and valuable comments from all parties involved in this
study are very much appreciated.

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