ARGOSS 2001. Guidelines for assessing the risk to groundwater from on-site sanitation. Report no. CR/01/142.

Abstract

Many people in developing countries rely upon

untreated groundwater supplies for their drinking

water. These supplies are obtained from drilled

boreholes or tubewells, dugwells and springs.

Such sources are usually of good quality and

much better than some traditional sources of

supply, for example ponds and streams. However,

groundwater can become contaminated and there

is special concern that the introduction of on-site

sanitation systems may in certain circumstances

contribute to contamination of drinking water

supplies.

The purpose of this manual is to provide

guidance on how to assess and reduce the risk of

contamination of groundwater supplies from onsite

sanitation systems and is aimed at those

responsible for planning low cost water supply

and sanitation schemes.

It is anticipated that the readership for this

manual will include both those with good technical

knowledge of the problem (e.g. water and

sanitation engineers) and those who are less

familiar with the scientific and technical arguments.

This manual aims to be accessible to everyone with

a role in the planning of water supply and

sanitation at programme level.

Citation

ARGOSS 2001. Guidelines for assessing the risk to groundwater from on-site sanitation. Report no. CR/01/142.

Updates to this page

Published 1 January 2001