Abstract
Under the Mahaweli Development project the Mahaweli River was diverted to Rajarata area at polgolla barrage in 1976. Along the river concentration of the dissolved organic (DO), inorganic and suspended solids are gradually increased. In drinking Water Treatment Plants (WTPs) can be removed mainly suspended solid and some part of the dissolved component. As a result of remaining DO in filtered water disinfection by products (DBPs) formed such as Trihalomethane (THM) which is carcinogenic. This study was conducted to investigate THM formation potential in Mahaweli Diverted Areas (DA) and Non-Diverted Areas (NDA). Water samples were collected from following WTPs; Ukuwela, Matale, Dambulla, Bakamuna, Minneriya, Medirigiriya and 2- Ela as a DA and Meewathura, Greater Kandy, Pathadumbara, Mahiyanganaya, Dehiattakandiya, Gallella, Kantale and Mutur as a NDA. The raw water source of Ukuwela and Matale is Sudu Ganga and others are Ibbankatuwa Lake, Yoda Ela, Minneriya Lake, Kaudulla Lake and Parakrama Samudra respectively. Four THM species, Trichloromethane, Bromodichloromethane, Dibromochloromethane and Tribromomethane were measured using Gas Chromatography (GC) system and finally Total THM (TTHM) were calculated. The highest TTHM concentration was reported in 2- Ela (84.67 ± 35.17) µg/L and Mutur (83.85) µg/L which is exceeded the United State Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) maximum contaminant level of 80 µg/L. Lowest concentration was reported from Matale 8.16 µg/L. According to the Kruskal-Wallis Test the median TTHM concentration of DA (22.73 µg/L) was not significantly different (p > 0.05) from the NDA (25.36 µg/L). The mean Conductivity (μS/cm), pH, turbidity (NTU) and alkalinity (mg/l) of the DA were 224.25 ± 65.95, 7.48 ± 0.36, 3.69 ± 1.91 and 87.5 ± 28.72 respectively and in NDA; 139.52 ± 62.39, 7.31 ± 0.37, 12.71 ± 12.13 and 56.25 ± 28.99 respectively. According to the statistical analysis there was no significant difference (p > 0.05) between the measured water quality parameters of DA and NDA.
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