Water Quality Index and Correlation Study for the Assessment of Water Quality and its Parameters of Yercaud Taluk, Salem District, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

Groundwater samples of bore wells (BW), open wells (OW), Hand Pumps (HP), lakes, falls and streams collected from different locations in Yercaud Taluk in Salem District, Tamil Nadu were analyzed for their physicochemical characteristics. The ground water samples were studied during pre-monsoon (June-July 2010) and post-monsoon (December 2010-January 2011) seasons from 25 different villages. The present study was undertaken to characterize the physicochemical parameters such as temperature, pH, Total Alkalinity (TA), Electrical Conductivity (EC), salinity, Calcium Hardness (CH), Magnesium Hardness (MH), Total Hardness (TH), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Total Solids (TS) and fluoride. Each parameter was compared with its standard permissible limit as prescribed by World Health Organization (WHO). The Water Quality Index (WQI) reflected that most of the samples are of good and excellent quality. The Karl Pearson Correlation matrix has approved the influence of CH on EC, Salinity and TDS with significantly positive correlation. The study reveals that all the villages have hardness within the desirable limit prescribed by WHO.