Danville Utilities studying feasibility of a riverbank filtration system

DANVILLE (WSLS 10) - A new system is being considered in Danville to help save the city money when it comes to treating drinking water.

Danville Utilities is conducting a study of 10 locations along the Dan River, upstream of the city's drinking water plant, to determine if a riverbank filtration system is feasible.

The system is a series of wells that will filter the river water through the riverbank before it gets to the drinking water plant.

This would make fewer chemicals needed to treat the water once it gets to the plant.

Exactly how much money the city would save and exactly how much the filtration system would cost had not been determined as of Thursday.

"We would see a very significant change, decrease, in chemicals, especially aluminum sulfate, which we use to remove the mud particles," Danville Drinking Water Plant Manager Alan Johnson explained.

Johnson said the goal is to have a final location chosen by the end of October.