Abstract
This study investigates existing water supply scenario, and evaluates the performance of pond sand filter (PSF) in meeting drinking water demand of Dacope Upazila in southwest coastal Bangladesh. Questionnaire survey to the villagers reveals that PSF is the major drinking water sources (38 %) of the study area followed by tubewells (30.4 %), rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems (12.6 %), ponds (10.3 %) and others (8.7 %). The spot test and laboratory analysis show that odour, colour, pH, dissolved oxygen, hardness, calcium, magnesium, nitrate, sulphate and phosphate of the PSFs water meet Bangladesh standard. The efficiency of PSF in reducing total dissolved solids (TDS) (15 %) and potassium (8.2 %) is not enough to meet the standard of 20 % PSFs for TDS and one-third PSFs for potassium. The study proves that PSF is unable to remove coliform bacteria by 100 % from highly contaminated water. Hence, disinfection should be adopted before distribution to ensure safe drinking water. Majority of the PSF’s users (80 %) are either partially satisfied or dissatisfied with the existing system. The beneficiary’s willingness to pay for drinking water technologies seems that the combination of PSF and RWH could ensure sustainable drinking water in coastal region of Bangladesh.
Highlights
Providing adequate amounts of drinking water of an acceptable quality is a basic necessity, and ensuring sustainable, long-term supply of such drinking water is of national and international concern
This study investigates existing water supply scenario, and evaluates the performance of pond sand filter (PSF) in meeting drinking water demand of Dacope Upazila in southwest coastal Bangladesh
Questionnaire survey to the villagers reveals that PSF is the major drinking water sources (38 %) of the study area followed by tubewells (30.4 %), rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems (12.6 %), ponds (10.3 %) and others (8.7 %)
Summary
Providing adequate amounts of drinking water of an acceptable quality is a basic necessity, and ensuring sustainable, long-term supply of such drinking water is of national and international concern. Deep tubewells of coastal areas provide a relatively reduced level of salinity, the water contains sand which makes deep well water undrinkable in coastal areas (Ahmed 1996). To cope with this disastrous situation, different water treatment options and alternative strategies like rainwater harvesting (RWH) and pond sand filter (PSF) systems are tried to adopt in government and non-government sectors. The Southwest coastal region of Bangladesh has been severely facing pure drinking water crisis due to saline water intrusion on one hand and arsenic content of groundwater on the other where PSFs have been installed as an alternative water supply system.
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