Arsenic (As) pollution threatens the safety of drinking water in many parts of the world. In this study, a critical review was first carried out to identify the current status of groundwater As contamination in Pakistan. The obtained data was further interpreted with GIS mapping to visualize the distribution of groundwater As concentration throughout Pakistan. Furthermore, human health risk assessment was conducted for individuals (including children and adults) using a statistical analysis approach. Both chronic daily intake and human risk index were taken into consideration. The results indicated that both children and adults in the affected areas of Pakistan are subject to health threats due to As contamination of groundwater. To cope with the elevated level of groundwater As, a novel CuO-carbon nanotube (CNT) composite membrane was prepared and assessed in this study. Preliminary results showed that this membrane was efficient in removing As(III) at pH 7 in the presence of NaCl 0.01 M. The As removal potential of CuO-CNT membrane reached almost 100% during one-hour filtration experiment, and the removal efficiency was significantly greater than those obtained with membranes modified by either CuO nanoparticles or CNT. Overall, this study found that As in groundwater is posing a health risk to individuals in the affected areas of Pakistan. Furthermore, the novel CuO-CNT membrane has a promising potential for As(III) removal from the contaminated water, and therefore, is worthy of further investigation.