WEDC Technical Brief No. 47: Improving pond water

Wherever possible, a community should avoid the health risks which result from using contaminated pond water, by using an alternative, good-quality source. (Groundwater or rainwater sources will usually produce water of much better quality.) If a pond is the only source of water, the implementation of some of the ideas in this Technical Brief should improve the quality of water. It is not easy to find a sustainable way to produce good-quality potable water from ponds, but any improvement in the quality of pond water is worth the effort. This Brief concentrates on the removal of suspended matter and pathogenic organisms. It does not address the removal of chemical contaminants because of the complexities involved.