What is Surface Water

The provision of clean water is a global concern that must be critically addressed by all government bodies. However, lack of attention to this matter presents difficulties to many rural regions, especially in the developing countries. Most rural regions around the world experience lack of clean water due to various factors such as shortage of water resources and lack of water treatment facilities due to geographical constraint and scatter of population. Thus, small-scale water treatment system is an attractive technology for clean water production in isolated areas as it only requires a small footprint and it is more cost-effective than conventional water treatment plants. This chapter focuses on the small-scale water treatment systems for each of surface water, groundwater, rainwater, and brackish water resources. Considerations are taken based on the type of water resources and geographical conditions of the rural areas which include flat grounds, hills, and island areas. Besides, rainwater harvesting and treatment is reviewed for individual house application.