Water is one of the most important natural resources for human life. Rapid urbanization, population growth, industrial activities, and climate change have increased the demand for clean water and affected its quality. In Raipur and nearby areas of Chhattisgarh, contamination of water by iron, fluoride, and other impurities has become a major concern. Therefore, there is a need to develop a simple, economical, and effective water treatment system. The present study focuses on the development of a low-cost filtration system for improving water quality in the Raipur region. Soil samples were collected from selected locations near the Kharun River, Mahanadi River, and surrounding areas. Laboratory experiments were conducted using soil columns of different depths (10 cm, 20 cm, 30 cm, 40 cm and 50 cm) to study infiltration characteristics and identify the most suitable soil column depth. Activated carbon was prepared from locally available materials such as rice husk, sugarcane bagasse, and wood charcoal. These materials, along with zeolite, were used as filter media in combination with soil columns. Water samples containing high concentrations of iron and fluoride were treated through the developed filtration model to evaluate their removal efficiency. The results showed that the 50 cm soil column provided the best filtration performance. Rice husk activated carbon, wood charcoal, and zeolite were found to be highly effective in removing iron and fluoride from water. The filtration system achieved significant water quality improvement while maintaining a satisfactory rate of flow. The system requires very little maintenance and uses low-cost, locally available materials. The developed filtration technology can be used for riverbank filtration, groundwater recharge, rain water harvesting systems, and household water treatment in Raipur and other parts of Chhattisgarh. It offers a sustainable and affordable solution for providing safe drinking water to rural and urban communities.

Keywords: Water Quality, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, Activated Carbon, Rice Husk, Sugarcane Bagasse, Zeolite, Iron Removal, Fluoride Removal, Low-Cost Filtration System.