Technologies
If geogenic contamination of groundwater has been detected in a region, exploiting
alternative water resources for drinking purposes should be considered before
any steps are taken to try and remove the contaminant. Using surface water from
local rivers or lakes, collecting rainwater or extracting groundwater from
uncontaminated aquifers might be plausible options:
- Alternative water resources
If alternative water resources are not available, then using
technologies to remove the contaminant remains the only option to mitigate the
problem and to prevent negative health effects. A suitable treatment option needs to be
found to satisfy the needs of the village or town. Especially in developing
countries, the cost of implementing and maintaining such technologies is a
limiting factor, therefore simple solutions with locally available materials should
be favoured over expensive, high-tech and high maintenance options.