Potable Water Quality Analysis of Akbarpura, KPK, Pakistan

Abstract

In Pakistan, supply of safe drinking water of international standard is very limited. Only around 30% population has access to piped drinking water, which has rarely been completely tested for health safety. About 70% population is drinking water of unknown quality. The only testing comes through human consumption and getting sick. This study is designed to investigate the water quality problems of Akbarpura, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa. Samples were collected from the subject area on continuous basis for a period of 5--6 months. Nearly 240 samples were collected. Analysis of physicochemical parameters has been carried out that includes temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, chloride content, total coliform bacteria, total dissolved solids, nitrates, sulfates and arsenic. The area is adversely affected by the concentration of nitrates and total coliform. The maximum concentration of nitrates was observed at point “D” equal to 112 mg/L. And the same point has a maximum microbial pollution, i.e., 4 MPN/100 mL. The turbidity, TDS and arsenic concentration at all the points were observed to be within the permissible values of WHO guidelines. The point “A” is found to have higher concentration of TDS, i.e., 1240 mg/L, owing to which these samples were found to have bitter taste. Moreover, the concentration of sulfates was also found to be more, i.e., 632 mg/L at point ‘A”. Hence it is recommended that preventive measures must be taken at all points to remove the excess microbial and nitrates contamination and cost-effective methodology should be designed for monitoring of drinking water of the subject area. In this regard, low-cost measures must be applied at a household level for provision of safe drinking water free from any contamination.

Keywords: Total Dissolved Solids, Concentration, Total Coliform, Physiochemical Parameters

Cite this Article:

Ali A, Ullah M, Begum J. Potable Water Quality Analysis of Akbarpura, KPK, Pakistan. Recent Trends in Civil Engineering & Technology. 2015; 5(1): 19–27p.