Toxicologia Ambiental e Analítica

Analysis of Water Quality in Urban Water Supply System of Bangladesh

Abstract

Tapos Kormoker, Ram Proshad and Mohammad Mahmud Khan

Supply of safe drinking-water is world-wide considered to be an important issue for public health safety and must be the key objective of water supply systems. The aim of this research is to analyze the supply water quality in urban water supply system of Bangladesh. This research was conducted in two Pourashava water supply systems namely Barguna Pourashava and Faridpur Pourashava of Bangladesh. Some concerned chemical, biological and physical parameters were tested for an initial assessment of the water quality of the source water. A total of ten ground water based production well's water samples were examined in those two Pourashava. A total of nine samples, one from each ward were collected form the entry point of the supply water to the user's house were analyzed for E. coli which represented the quality of the piped water. A total of three water samples were collected from each of the ward for microbiological (FC) quality analysis. Millipore microbiological field testing kits was used for E. coli testing, DR 2800 HACH spectrophotometer was used for determination of manganese, iron, and nitrate and Wegtech Digital Arsenator was used for arsenic determination. Physical parameters were tested by HACH potable instruments. The light brown yellowish color created an aesthetic problem among the water users of Barguna Pourashava. In addition, the fecal contamination rate was very high. The findings of E. coli analysis of Barguna Pourashava supply water indicated that 11% have intermediate risk, 37% have high risk and 52% have very high risk considering the health. The water of the production wells of Faridpur Pourashava has high concentration of the arsenic, iron and E. coli. The household's storage water sample analysis result indicated that 48%, 44% and 7% have very high risk, high risk and intermediate risk from the health point of view.