Water quality assessment of Raw and Chlorinated drinking water of a Residential University

Huda Kamal; Imran Hashmi

doi:10.24949/njes.v14i1.633

Authors

Huda Kamal Institute of Environmental Sciences and Engineering (IESE), School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (SCEE) National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) Sector H-12, Islamabad, Pakistan
Imran Hashmi Institute of Environmental Sciences and Engineering (IESE), School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (SCEE) National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) Sector H-12, Islamabad, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24949/njes.v14i1.633

Keywords:

Drinking water, Raw water, Chlorinated water, Physicochemical quality, Bacteriological quality.

Abstract

The safety of water is essential for life on earth. Drinking contaminated water can give rise to many health issues. To
highlight the major causes of contamination in water, this study was carried out to determine the physicochemical and
bacteriological quality of raw and chlorinated water. Raw and chlorinated water samples were obtained from three locations (zones) of a residential university (National University of Sciences and Technology, NUST). Ten physicochemical
parameters were analyzed (pH, Electrical conductivity, Turbidity, Dissolved oxygen, Hardness, Alkalinity, Total suspended
solids, Total dissolved solids, Total organic carbon, and Chlorine (free & total)). Bacteriological analysis was performed
through the MPN technique. The results showed that all the physicochemical parameters were found within the permissible limits set by WHO and PSDWQ for raw and chlorinated water, except TSS and Chlorine (free & total). The TSS of raw and chlorinated water ranged from 3.3-14.3mg/L and 8.7-12.7mg/L, greater than the permissible limits. The free Chlorine for both raw and chlorinated water ranged from 0.04-0.09mg/L and 0.06-0.07mg/L and total Chlorine for both raw and chlorinated water in the range 0.10-0.09mg/L and 0.22-0.24mg/L, respectively, which were far below the recommended limit required for water disinfection. The MPN index for raw and chlorinated water ranged from 23 to >23MPN/100ml and 16 to >23MPN/100ml, exceeding the permissible limits. The results concluded that the water, whether raw or chlorinated, was not fit for drinking purposes. Proper dosages of Chlorine and filtration techniques are required to make the water fit for consumption.

References

L. C. Simoes and M. Simoes, “Biofilms in drinking water: problems and solutions”, Rsc Advances, Vol. 3, No. 8, 2013, pp. 2520-2533.

P. Li and J. Wu, “Drinking water quality and public health”, Exposure and Health, Vol. 11, No. 2, 2019, pp. 73-79.

J. N. Edokpayi, J. O. Odiyo, E. O. Popoola and T. A. Msagati, “Evaluation of microbiological and physicochemical parameters of alternative source of drinking water: a case study of nzhelele river, South Africa”, The open microbiology journal, Vol. 12, 2018, pp. 18-27.

J. J. Sunday, N. C. O. Spencer, O. Kingsley, A.O. Edet and D. D. Amaka, “Physico-chemical and microbiological properties of water samples used for domestic purposes in Okada town, Edo state, Nigeria”, International Jorurnal of Current Microbiology and Applied Science, Vol. 3, No. 6, 2014, pp. 886-894.

R. Amin, S. S. Ali, Z. Anwar and J. Z. K. Khattak, “Microbial analysis of drinking water and water distribution system in new urban Peshawar”, Current Research Journal of Biological Sciences, Vol. 4, No. 6, 2012, pp. 731-737.

R. Dhawde, N. Surve, R. Macaden, A. C. Wennberg, I. Seifert-Dahnn, A. Ghadge and T. Birdi, “Physicochemical and Bacteriological Analysis of Water Quality in Drought Prone Areas of Pune and Satara Districts of Maharashtra, India”, Environments, Vol. 5, No. 5, 2018, pp. 61.

A. Ikhlaq, M. Kazmi, S. Hayder, H. Rashid, M. Rustam, A. W. Sulheri and A. Saeed, “Evaluation of Drinking water quality parameters in the areas of East-Lahore Pakistan: A case study”, Journal of Engineering & Technology, Vol. 21, No. 3, 2014, pp. 41-53.

Z. Sami, M. A. Khan and A. Ghafoor, “Bacteriological analysis of drinking water”, Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, Vol. 38, No. 4, 1988, pp. 92-96.

S. Haydar, M. Arshad and J. A. Aziz, “Evaluation of drinking water quality in urban areas of Pakistan: A case study of Southern Lahore”, Pakistan Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Vol. 5, 2009, pp. 16-23.

APHA, American Public Health Association, “Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater”, Washington, D.C., 23rd ed, 2017.

R. Adams, F. Bennett, J. Dixon, R. Lough, F. Maclean, G. Martin, “The utilization of organic wastes in N.Z: Second interim report of the inter-departmental committee”, New Zealand Engineering, 1951, pp. 396-424.

O. I. Omezuruike, A. O. Damilola, O. T. Adeola, E. A. Fajobi and O. B. Shittu, “Microbiological and physicochemical analysis of different water samples used for domestic purposes in Abeokuta and Ojota, Lagos State, Nigeria”, African Journal of Biotechnology, Vol. 7, No. 5, 2008, pp. 617-621.

V. Sailaja, P. Umamaheswari, D. K. Kanderi, P. K. Reddy and G. Rajoji, “Physicochemical and Microbiological analysis of Municipality Drinking Water”, International Journal of Current Research, Vol. 7, No. 8, 2015, pp. 19368-19372.

M. A. Rahman, M. M. Islam and F. Ahmed, “Physico-chemical and bacteriological analysis of drinking tube-well water from some primary school, Magura, Bangladesh to evaluate suitability for students”, International Journal of Applied Science and Engineering Research, Vol. 4, No. 5, 2015, pp. 735-749.

Y. Meride and B. Ayenew, “Drinking water quality assessment and its effects on residents health in Wondo genet campus, Ethiopia”, Environmental Systems Research, Vol. 5, No. 1, 2016, pp. 1-7.

O. N. Sila, “Physico-chemical and bacteriological quality of water sources in rural settings, a case study of Kenya, Africa”, Scientific African, Vol. 2, 2019, e00018.

A. M. Adegboyega, C. B. Olalude and O. A. Odunola, “Physicochemical and bacteriological analysis of water samples used for domestic purposes in Idi Ayunre, Oyo State, Southwestern Nigeria”, IOSR-Journal of Applied Chemistry, Vol. 8, No. 10, 2015, pp. 46-50.

H. K. Pandey, V. Tiwari, S. Kumar, A. Yadav and S. K. Srivastava, “Groundwater quality assessment of Allahabad smart city using GIS and water quality index”, Sustainable Water Resources Management, Vol. 6, No. 28, 2020, pp. 1-14.

S. Ishaque, Z. Nisar, S. Iqbal, M. Abbas and I. Hashmi, “Physicochemical and Bacteriological Analysis of Water used for Drinking Purposes within a Residential University”, NUST Journal of Engineering Sciences, Vol. 5, No. 1, 2012, pp. 21-26.

R. Singh, “Hybrid membrane systems for water purification: technology, systems design and operations”, Elsevier.

M. J. Brandt and Ratnayaka, “Pumping, Electrical plant and Control and Instrumentation”, Twort's Water Supply, 7 ed., 2017.