While climate change is an emerging hazard to water supply, literature on the vulnerability of bank filtration (BF), a proven technique of drinking water production in Central Europe and North America, is yet scarce. The Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (2007) has projected a global temperature increase between 1.1 and 6.4 °C by 2100. This will affect vital factors for water supply such as precipitation regime, groundwater recharge, run-off, river discharge and raw water quality. Projections on climate change and the implications are difficult because of the uncertainties associated with climate scenarios and modelling. However, in Europe and North America where BF is in operation, the projected increase in seasonal floods and droughts has already been experienced. In addition, site-specific considerations (e.g. land use, demographic trends) are to be taken into account to evaluate the potential impacts on water supply. To fill the current gap in literature, this report provides a first overview on how changing environmental conditions may affect BF operation.
Analysis of the vulnerability of bank filtration systems to climate change by comparing their effectiveness under varying environmental conditions