Communities are looking more closely at integrated supply/treatment approaches to provide the highest water quality with the most effective sequential barriers to pollutant breakthroughs that involve evaluation of the quantities of water available from alternative sources, the quality of each of these sources, and the corresponding treatment requirements. Where alluvial aquifer formations are present and in hydraulic connection with the surface water body, river bank filtration (RBF) is an effective pretreatment option. RBF involves drawing surface water into the aquifer and gaining the benefits of natural filtration from the movement of the water through the overlying soils. This paper will focus on the RBF option examining its cost, benefits, and applicability. Includes 4 references.