Surface water and groundwater sources for drinking water

Abstract

Raw water is groundwater, surface water, or rainwater that has not received any treatment in order to be suitable for drinking. Its quality must be good enough to produce when treated a safe and acceptable drinking water, and it must come from a source that can consistently provide sufficient required quantity. Polluted or contaminated water sources can contain chemical or microbiological hazards which can lead to sickness and require treatment before consumption. In many cases it is better to protect the quality of the raw water providing sustainable management than to treat it after it has become deteriorated.