Status of Groundwater Contamination in Rural Area, Kelantan

Abstract

Samples of untreated groundwater from 454 drinking water wells provided under Water Supply And Sanitation Programme (BAKAS), were analyzed between Mac and December 2013. There were 49% (221/454) samples positive for Total Coliform, 14% (65/454) positive for E.coli, and 3% (13/454) positive for Salmonella spp respectively. No samples positive for Vibrio Cholera were detected. Detailed results of the groundwater samples from nine districts indicated that Gua Musang 81% (17/21), Tanah Merah 65% (13/20), Bachok 60% (24/40), Tumpat 58% (70/120), Kota Bharu 54% (41/76), Pasir Puteh 40% (32/80), Machang 35% (7/20), Pasir Mas 24% (13/55), and Kuala Krai 18% (4/22) showed violation of Total Coliform whilst violation of E.coli were detected in Gua Musang 38% (8/21), Kota Bharu 24% (18/76), Tumpat 18% (21/120), Machang 15% (3/20), Pasir Mas 13% (7/55), Pasir Puteh 8% (6/80), Tanah Merah 5% (1/20), and Kuala Krai 5% (1/22). For Salmonella spp, only samples from Kota Bharu 14% (11/76) and Tumpat 2% (2/120) show violation. In term of chemical analysis, Violation of Ferum were detected more frequently (39%) with mean value 0.76mg/l ± 1.37 followed by Manganese (29%) mean value 0.27mg/l ± 3, Ammonia (6%) mean value 0.34mg/l ± 0.85 and Aluminium (only 1%) mean value 0.04mg/l ± 0.12. No violation of Nitrate detected in all samples. 18 samples (3.96%) shows combine violation of Ammonia and Ferum, 16 samples (3.52%) combine violation of Ammonia and Manganese, 89 samples (19.60%) combine violation of Ferum and Manganese, and only 2 samples (0.44%) shows combine violation of Manganese and Aluminium. From 454 samples that were analyzed, 9 samples (1.98%) indicate combine violation from Ammonia, Ferum, and Manganese. Violations of Ammonia were detected in Tumpat 18% (21/120), Kota Bharu 5% (4/76), Gua Musang 5% (1/21) and Bachok 3% (1/40). Bachok contribute the most high violation of Ferum 63% (25/40), followed by Pasir Puteh 46% (37/80), Kota Bharu 45% (34/76), Kuala Krai 41% (9/22), Machang 35% (7/20), Tumpat 33% (40/120), Gua Musang 33% (7/21), Pasir Mas 25% (14/55) and Tanah Merah 20% (4/20) respectively. However for violation of Manganese, Kuala Krai shows the highest percentage 55% (12/22), followed by Gua Musang 52% (11/21), Kota Bharu 43% (33/76), Machang 40% (8/20), Tumpat 29% (35/120), Bachok 30% (12/40), Pasir Mas 24% (13/55), Pasir Puteh 10% (8/80), and Tanah Merah 5% (1/20) respectively. Violations of Aluminium only occur in Machang 5% (1/20), Gua Musang 5% (1/21) and Pasir Puteh 1% (1/80). All the chemical parameter did not show significant correlation with microbiological contamination. In future, longitudinal study should be applied to identify correlation between microbiological and chemical contamination with environmental factor such as monsoon season, salinity water, as well as hydrogeological factor in each district.