Drinking Water Quality Standards Research Articles

Assessment of radiological risk to workers and members of the public from the operation of a groundwater treatment plant in Jordan

ABSTRACT The study aimed to evaluate the radiation doses received by workers at a pilot water treatment plant (WTP) in Jordan. It also examined the concentrations of gross alpha, gross beta, and radium activities in both groundwater and treated water, along with a radiological risk assessment for the waste generated by the treatment process. The radioactivity levels of gross alpha and gross beta in the groundwater were found to exceed the established drinking water limits. In the pilot WTP, two methods were applied for water treatment, namely, ceramic ultra-filtration (CUF) and reverse osmosis (RO), both of which produced treated water that met drinking water quality standards. The annual effective dose from external radiation exposure to the WTP workers was found to be less than 0.007 mSv y−1 (during the filters backwash operation). However, the average annual dose from internal radiation due to inhalation of radon released from groundwater reached 3.2 mSv y−1, exceeding the 1 mSv y−1 limit. Therefore, monitoring radon levels in workplaces is recommended. Radioisotope concentrations in the waste (sludge) stockpiles exceeded clearance levels, requiring them to be treated as radioactive waste. Overall, the WTP successfully produced drinking water that met quality standards, and the methods used could be replicated in other locations.

Discussion on aesthetic and chemical characteristics of drinking water quality in emergencies

The Standards for drinking water quality(GB 5749-2022), which has taken effect on April 1, 2023, stipulates that limit values of aesthetic and chemical characteristics of drinking water can be temporarily adjusted in emergencies. However, the national standard does not clearly specify the adjusted period and limit values. This study is based on the principle that the human body will not cause acute toxic damage during short-term exposure, considering the acceptability such as chromaticity, smell, and taste in drinking water, referring to the drinking water quality standards of different countries and regions including the World Health Organization, the United States, the European Union, Japan, Australia, etc. We discussed the limited values during emergencies for 21 aesthetic and chemical characteristics from GB 5749-2022 to guaranine the drinking water safety and human health in emergencies.

Risk management: Clean water crisis mitigation efforts in Indonesia with rain water harvesting and reverse osmosis innovations

Background: Water is an important component for living things on earth, so water cannot be separated from human life. This is because the human component consists of 70% water in it. The increase in population and polluted water sources has caused humans to experience a clean water crisis, thereby hampering human socioeconomic life on earth. Findings: Considering that Indonesia has a fairly high rainfall, namely 2,702 mm3 per year, and has polluted water sources and a large sea area, the innovative idea of using rainwater harvesting and reverse osmosis is a solution to overcome problems and be able to overcome the risk of a clean water crisis in the future. front. Discussing the clean water crisis in Indonesia, the area that has this problem is one of the DKI Jakarta areas, namely, Muara Angke, Pluit, and North Jakarta. Methods: In writing this idea, systematic literature reviews and article reviews were used. The systematic method of the literature review is collecting metadata obtained according to the journal database via https://scholar.google.com/ and visualizing it using VOSviewer. This is intended to show research trends regarding clean water technology. Conclusion: Three blocks have a water shortage crisis, namely the Waste Block, the Eceng Block, and the Empang Block. The scarcity of clean water in this area is caused by illegal land issues which makes it difficult to obtain permits for piping systems from the PDAM and the contamination of springs due to the influence of geographical location. The implementation of this technology is considered quite simple in the community so it can be a solution to the clean water crisis problem.Of course, the treated water is expected to meet the parameters of clean water, namely the Ministry of Health Regulation Number 32 of 2017 concerning sanitation water and the Ministry of Health Regulation Number 492 of 2010 concerning drinking water quality standards. So that the water can be utilized by the people of Indonesia.

Assessment of Physico-Chemical Water Quality of Ground Water at Ten Villages Situated in Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh, India

The monitoring was carried out to ascertain the ground water quality at selected villages i.e. Pathara, Paldev, Guptagodawari, Satianusuya, Rajaula, Chitrakoot Busstand, Ramghat, Kamta Basti, Nayagawa and Hanumandhara during winter, Year 2014. Colour, odour, temperature, turbidity, total suspended solids, total dissolve solids, pH, EC, salinity, total hardness, calcium hardness, magnesium hardness, residual chlorine, chloride, total alkalinity, fluoride, nitrate and iron parameters were selected for above study. The Analyses of above mentioned parameters were done as per the standard methods for examination of water and wastewater (APHA-AWWA, 2005). The results of study were compared with the drinking water quality standards as prescribed by WHO (2011). The concentration of total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity, chloride, calcium hardness, magnesium hardness, total hardness and alkalinity was revealed due to abundant availability of dolomite rocks and lime stone in the study area. The results of the analysis showed that water is not fit for potable without filter and treatment and good for irrigation and other domestic purposes.

Water Quality of Unconfined Aquifer in Universitas Negeri Malang Following the Drinking Water Quality Standard of Indonesian Ministry of Health

The quality of groundwater is naturally determined by water-bearing rock characteristics. However, the progression of civilian activities also negatively affects the groundwater quality. Therefore, this study aims to assess the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of groundwater in the Universitas Negeri Malang (UM) campus area in Indonesia and evaluate its compliance with drinking water quality standards, particularly the Class A standard. A comparative descriptive strategy was utilized in the study by involving groundwater in the campus area of UM. The focus of the research is water quality in unconfined aquifer. Through purposive sampling, 12 wells were selected to ensure appropriate spatial dispersion. Water samples were collected in sample bottles and tested for physical, biological, and chemical properties. These water quality tests were carried out in the Perum Jasa Tirta I Malang. Water quality data were analyzed qualitatively, descriptively, and comparatively. This study concludes that (1) the groundwater on the UM campus generally meets the physical criteria for drinking water quality standards; (2) the chemical quality of the groundwater on the UM campus still satisfies the drinking water quality standards; and (3) biologically, the free groundwater on the UM campus fails to meet drinking water quality standards. The novelty of this research is that the biggest threat to the quality of free groundwater in the campus area is bacterial contamination from sanitation activities. Accordingly, it is recommended that groundwater is boiled before being utilized for drinking water purposes to neutralize the E. coli bacteria present in all well water samples.Keywords: Water Quality; Unconfined Aquifer; The Drinking Water; Quality Standard

Groundwater Potential of the Jakarta Groundwater Basin using the Darcy Equation Method

The annual increase in population leads to a growing demand for water. To control groundwater utilization in a directed manner is to extract groundwater according to groundwater potential. The research aims to analyze the groundwater potential in the Jakarta Groundwater Basin in terms of quantity and quality. The method used is primary data analysis by determining quantity potential using the Darcy equation method with additional calculations of groundwater volume and quality potential based on drinking water quality standards from the Republic of Indonesia Minister of Health Regulation no. 2 of 2023 and WHO of 2022. The dynamic potential for unconfined aquifers ranges from 2,663–1,372,901 m³/year, while for confined aquifers range from 184,991–1,895,288 m³/year. The static potential for unconfined aquifers ranges from 266,852–3,252,654 m³, while for confined aquifers ranges from 1,317,862–30,620,266 m³. Based on groundwater quality standards for drinking water from the Minister of Health and WHO for the parameters pH, TDS, Na⁺, Cl⁻, SO₄²⁻ and NO₃⁻, there are 15 samples from 53 samples of unconfined aquifer and 36 samples from 75 samples of confined aquifer that meet standards.

Analysis of Drinking Water Quality among Employees of Sulianti Saroso Infectious Disease Hospital

Drinking water is water through or without processing that meets health requirements and can be drunk directly. The aim of the study is to check the quality of drinking water for employees of Sulianti Saroso Infectious Disease Hospital (SSIDH) so that it is suitable or not for consumption in accordance with established quality standards. Drinking water sampling is carried out twice a year with a sampling point of 8 (eight) samples at every 6 (six) months. Based on the results of physical tests, namely smell, turbidity, taste, temperature, total dissolved solids, and color, it shows that the employee's drinking water has met the quality standards according to applicable regulations. Chemical drinking water quality requirements show pH concentrations ranging from 7.22 – 8 and other parameters including organic substances have met the quality standard requirements. Biological test results show the bacteriological quality of drinking water Total Coliform and Escherichia Coli is 0 according the required quality standard of 0 per 100 ml. The quality of drinking water for employees of RSPI Prof. Dr. Sulianti Saroso based on the results of laboratory examinations shows 100% of samples meet the requirements in accordance with the drinking water quality standard.

Shallow groundwater quality around the area Kaligending final processing site in Kebumen Regency, Central Java Province

Abstract The location of the Kaligending final Processing site is in Kraminan, Kaligending Village, Karangsambung District, Kebumen Regency which is the place for final waste processing. The Kaligending final processing site which is located in the hills can have an environmental impact on the area located below it. One of the impacts is the condition of groundwater in the area. The purpose of this study is to determine the condition and quality of shallow groundwater in the area. To find out groundwater conditions especially position and the pattern of shallow groundwater flow in the area is measured in the shallow ground water level which is then made a map of shallow groundwater and shallow groundwater flow direction patterns, while groundwater quality is measured by electrical conductivity and total dissolve solid (TDS) shallow groundwater in several wells. The results of the map pattern of shallow groundwater flow directions in the area come from the east and northeast, groundwater quality based on electrical conductivity is still suitable for use. The quality of shallow groundwater in residents’ wells in the Kraminan area is based on total dissolved solids, there are 4 wells that exceed the upper limit of drinking water quality standards (wells 3, 4, 5 and 6) which are located close to the Krembeng River

Environmental Assessment of Heavy Metal Pollution around Industrial Area in Southwestern, Nigeria

This study investigated heavy metal contamination around an industrial district in Obajana, Southwest Nigeria. The study region lies between latitudes 7°54′N to 7°56′N and longitudes 6°24′E to 6°27′E. Thirty samples each for groundwater and soil and twelve plant samples were collected from the study area. All samples were collected in triplicate. The physical and chemical parameters of the groundwater, soil, and plant samples were measured. The average pH level of the groundwater samples is 7.2 which falls within the Nigerian Standards for Drinking Water Quality (NSDWQ). The ranges of the other physical parameterssuch as electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS) and total hardness (TH) are also within the acceptable limits. The mean concentrations of heavy metals in groundwater samples for Mn (0.020 mg/L), Zn (0.010 mg/L), Ni (0.010 mg/L), Cr (0.130 mg/L), Cu (0.020 mg/L), and Fe (0.090 mg/L) are within the allowable limit, with the exception of Pb (0.090 mg/L) that is above the recommended level. According to the index of geo-accumulation (Igeo), the soil and plant samples are not polluted with respect to the heavy metals tested. The analysis of the human risk assessment reveals that the values for the carcinogenic risk are within acceptable bounds; however, the values for the non-carcinogenic risk are substantially above the acceptable bounds. This demonstrates that non-carcinogenic health impacts are a threat to the broader population. This study suggests continuous monitoring of groundwater, soil, and plant in the study area.

Assessment of metals and other trace elements in the drinking water along River Indus, Allai and Nagar

Trace element contamination in water is a global issue due to its widespread occurrence and health effects. Regular intake of elevated metal levels in drinking water can unequivocally cause several types of cancers. This study was primarily focused to assess the quality of drinking water in Allai, Nagar and along River Indus. So for this study a total of 64 spring, 14 waterfall and 7 glacier water samples were collected. Additionally, 13 sediment samples were also collected from Allai and Nagar which were located in the vicinity of mountainous River Indus, Pakistan. The samples were tested for arsenic, calcium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, potassium, sodium and zinc using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy so as to get the elemental concentrations in parts per billion. The range of metals and other trace elements were compared with the guidelines of World Health Organization (WHO) and the standards laid down by Environmental Protection Agency of Pakistan. The results revealed the (minimum-maximum) concentrations (µg/L) of drinking water quality parameters as follows: arsenic 0-0.06, calcium 1.74-176.87, chromium 0-0, copper 0-0, iron 0-0.25, sodium 1.27-292, potassium 0-24.01, magnesium 0.05-120.22, lead 0-0 and zinc 0-0. Moreover, the (minimum-maximum) concentrations (µg/L) of sediment samples were recorded as arsenic 0-0. 88, calcium 42.98-2068, chromium 0.16-0.65, copper 0.12-1.76, iron 166-544, sodium 8.99-15.36, potassium 35.57-247, magnesium 47.14-453, lead 0-0.23 and zinc 0.67-1.66. The study concluded that all the samples collected from the vicinity of River Indus had elemental concentrations within the recommended guidelines set by the National Drinking Water Quality Standards of Pakistan and WHO. Furthermore, a detailed study encompassing samples from the springs, glaciers, waterfalls and lakes is recommended to evaluate the possible trace element contamination either due to deposition or mixing of metal bearing rocks with water both in the low lying and highland areas of Upper Indus Basin. The outcomes of this research can be useful for the concerned authorities of Gilgit Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in the provision of safe drinking water to the people living in the vicinity of River Indus, Pakistan.

The Impact of Pit Latrines on the Pollution of Groundwater in the District of Rwamagana, Rwanda

The composition and condition of a water body change over time and across different locations due to internal and external factors. In many rural and peri- urban communities in Rwamagana, the lack of treated water has increased reliance on groundwater for various household and community needs. Groundwater sources are essential for meeting the water demand in these regions. An investigation was carried out in the Rwamagana district of the eastern province of Rwanda to evaluate the influence of pit latrines on groundwater quality. The research examined the water quality of four boreholes with hand pumps and 18 improved springs located near pit latrines. The evaluation specifically looked at total coliforms (TC), electrical conductivity (EC), turbidity, and pH. The proximity of the pit latrines to the boreholes or springs was considered in order to determine the presence of fecal coliforms in the groundwater, with the goal of establishing a minimum safe distance between the pit latrines and water sources. The physicochemical indicators of the water samples met the drinking water quality criteria set by the World Health Organization (WHO). However, the levels of biological contaminants exceeded the WHO's drinking water quality standards. The highest coliform counts detected in the study were 99cfu/100ml of water. The research findings suggest a clear relationship between fecal microbes from pit latrines and their impact on groundwater quality, with the contamination effect extending up to 322.4m for improved springs and 266.2m for boreholes with hand pumps.

Performance evaluation of the compact water treatment system pilot project at Timah Tasoh Water Treatment Plant, Perlis, Malaysia

Abstract Clean water is crucial to ensuring the well-being of people. The Package Timah Tasoh Water Treatment Plant (WTP) is designed to support the existing conventional plant in coping with the growing demand for clean water. The package plant used the Compact Water Treatment System, classified as a Category B in the Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Air Negara (SPAN) guidelines; thus, this performance monitoring research was conducted prior to product registration. The plant consists of aeration, flocculation, clarification, and filtration processes. The performance of this package plant was monitored through comparative and efficiency analysis of removal parameters and carried out over a period of six (6) months. Twelve (12) water quality parameters were selected, including turbidity, pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), colour, ammonia, residual chlorine, aluminium, iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), fluoride, standard total coliform, and E. coli with sampling water of RW, SW, FW, and TW, which was then assessed alongside the drinking water quality standards set by Ministry of Health (MOH). As a result, eight key parameters such as pH, turbidity, colour, TDS, iron, aluminium, manganese, and ammonia were meeting the MOH drinking water quality standards in over 94 % of cases. The remaining parameters are chlorine residual, fluoride, E. coli and standard total coliform were in non-compliance due to the inoperability of disinfection and fluoridisation processes. Most of the significant parameters deduced a better performance in terms of removal efficiency (> 60 %) consistently, except for TDS, throughout the monitoring activity.

Impact of leachate on groundwater quality using physicochemical characteristics

ABSTRACT This study assesses the impact of Koshe open dump site leachate on nearby groundwater quality. Groundwater quality is threatened by open dump sites. Groundwater samples around Koshe open dump sites showed elevated levels of various physicochemical characteristics, including Electrical conductivity (EC), Potassium (K), Iron (Fe), Chromium (Cr3), Lead (Pb), Mercury (Hg), Total Alkalinity, Nitrate (NO3−), Phosphate (PO4+), Cadmium (Cd), Bicarbonates (HCO3−), Arsenic (As), Salinity, Cobalt (Co), and Silicon (Si), exceeding Ethiopian, WHO, and EPA drinking-water quality standards. Among the sampled wells, the one located at Ayer Tena High School, upstream of Koshe, exhibited significantly lower concentrations of parameters indicating leachate impact on groundwater quality As, Cd, Cr3, Pb, Hg, Molybdenum (Mo), NO3-, K, and PO4+ compared to others. The presence of these parameters in nearby groundwater wells suggests a substantial impact of the Koshe dump site on groundwater quality. Traditional landfills and dump sites must be outlawed, and new hygienic landfills must be constructed in a convenient location to end the continued groundwater pollution.

Shallow groundwater quality and health risk assessment of fluoride and arsenic in Northwestern Jiangsu Province, China

Assessing groundwater quality is critical to regional water resource conservation and human health safety, especially in areas with co-existence of toxic constituents fluoride (F−) and arsenic (As). In this study, fourteen groundwater samples were collected in Feng County, Northwestern Jiangsu Province to identify dominant contaminants and their spatial distribution and health risk. The composition and variation characteristics of major ions (K+, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl−, SO42−, HCO3−, and NO3−) and trace elements (F−, As, and Mn) were analyzed. The hydrochemical results revealed that high F− groundwater was mainly distributed in the northern areas whereas As-riched groundwater was primarily distributed in southern areas. Notably, over 85.7% and 21.4% of the shallow groundwater samples exceeded the drinking water quality standard of 1.5 mg/L for F− and 10 µg/L for As, respectively. Based on the water quality index (WQI) appraisal result, 71.4% of the groundwater in the study area is classified as “poor”, and thus unsuitable for drinking directly. We assessed the human non-carcinogenic health risk of F− (HQFluoride) and As (HQArsenic) and the carcinogenic health risk of As (CRArsenic). The calculated hazard quotient (HQ) for F− indicated nearly all groundwater samples have an unacceptable risk (HQ > 1) for each age group. However, HQArsenic values revealed that 28.6%, 21.4%, 21.4%, and 21.4% of groundwater samples posed potential non-carcinogenic health risks for infants, children, females, and males, respectively. The calculated results of CRArsenic showed that 0%, 21.4%, 28.6%, and 28.6% of groundwater samples posed unacceptable health risks (CR > 1.0 × 10−4) to infants, children, females, and males, respectively. The groundwater irrigation suitability assessment results showed that 21.4% of samples were doubtful to unsuitable for irrigation, and 85.7% owed magnesium hazards. The findings of this study will assist policymakers in formulating proper remedial policies and mitigation strategies to ensure the safety of drinking and irrigation water.

Modeling on comprehensive evaluation of groundwater quality status using Geographic Information System (GIS) and Water Quality Index (WQI): a case study of Bahir Dar City, Amhara, Ethiopia

Abstract Groundwater is the most important natural resource, and many people throughout the world rely on it for drinking, particularly in rural areas. The present study was carried out to assess the status of groundwater quality and to check its suitability for domestic purposes in urban centres of Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia. Twelve shallow wells were selected for sampling. The sampled water was taken during the dry and summer seasons of the year 2019/2020. pH, turbidity, EC, TDS, chloride (Cl−), nitrate (NO3−), phosphate (PO4−3), total hardness, and Escherichia coli were measured for the suitability analysis. Comparison of measured results with those of WHO and Ethiopian drinking water quality standards was done. Moreover, Geographic Information System (GIS) and Water Quality Index (WQI) data analysis techniques were applied in order to investigate the groundwater quality. The spatial distribution map showed that the city's core area had the poorest groundwater quality status. The WQI result obtained from the analysis showed that 41.67, 33.33, and 25% of the sampled groundwater has low, extremely poor, and unsafe quality for drinking purposes, respectively. The present study revealed that anthropogenic activities have a great impact on the quality of groundwater in the area, necessitating immediate mitigating actions.

Physicochemical Analysis of Surface Water in Rohri Canal from Sukkur Barrage to Mehrabpur

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of domestic and industrial waste discharge on the surface water quality of Rohri Canal in the stretch of the canal from Sukkur Barrage to Mehrabpur town. Eight sampling points were selected along the canal focusing on canal locations near major settlements. The parameters studied were temperature, pH, turbidity, hardness, alkalinity, total dissolved solids and suspended solids, chlorides, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and E-coli. The average value of BOD and COD at the sampling stations were recorded as 212 mg/L and 423 mg/L respectively, which exceed the permissible surface water limits for drinking and irrigation purposes. The results indicate significantly higher value of BOD in sampling locations where there are major settlements and there is a continuous inflow of untreated sewage into the canal. The pH values at all the sampling sites were found within the drinking and irrigation water quality standards whereas the TDS values at only sampling stations (3 and 4) exceeded these limits. The turbidity values of the samples ranged from 237 to 821 NTU, exceeding the WHO drinking water quality standards for this parameter. The values of the water quality parameters including hardness (range 146 to 300 mg/L), chlorides (range 36 to 103 mg/L) and alkalinity (range 120 to 230 mg/L) were found well below the limits of WHO drinking water quality standards. The turbidity values of the samples ranged from 237 to 821 NTU and exceeded the WHO drinking water quality standards for this parameter. At all the sampling sites located near major settlements low levels of dissolved oxygen and the presence of E.coli were recorded. The results revealed that the continuous inflowing of untreated or un-treated sewage and industrial effluents into the canal has changed its physicochemical and biological characteristics, which make it unfit for human consumption and can have long-term irrevocable ecological threats if left unmanaged

Lead occurrence in North Carolina well water: importance of sampling representation and collection techniques

Private wells often lack centralized oversight, drinking water quality standards, and consistent testing methodologies. For lead in well water, the lack of standardized data collection methods can impact reported measurements, which can misinform health risks. Here, we conducted a targeted community science testing of 1143 wells across 17 counties in North Carolina (USA) and compared results to state testing data primarily associated with new well construction compiled in the NCWELL database. The goal of our study was to explore the impacts of sampling methodology and household representation on estimated lead exposures and subsequent health risks. At the household scale, we illustrated how sampling and analytical techniques impact lead measurements. The community science testing first draw samples (characterizing drinking water) had a 90th percentile lead value of 12.8 μg l−1 while the NCWELL database flushed samples (characterizing groundwater) had a value below the reporting level of 5 μg l−1. As lead was associated with the corrosion of premise plumbing, flushing prior to collection substantially reduced lead concentrations. At the community scale, we examined how the lack of representation based on household demographics and well construction characteristics impacted the knowledge of lead and blood lead level (BLL) occurrence. When simulating representative demographics of the well populations, we observed that the 90th percentile lead level could differ by up to 6 μg l−1, resulting in communities being above the USEPA action level. This translated to a 1.0–1.3 μg dl−1 difference in predicted geometric mean BLL among infants consuming reconstituted formula. Further, inclusion of less common well construction types also increased lead in water occurrence. Overall, under- and overestimations of lead concentrations associated with differences in sampling techniques and sample representation can misinform conclusions about risks of elevated BLLs associated with drinking water from private wells which may hinder investigations of waterborne lead exposure.

Impact of water quality on reprocessing equipment: Assessment of neurosurgical instruments cleaning and biofilm formation in hospital pipes.

The presence of contamination and microorganisms at any stage of processing renders a method unsafe, leading to a high risk of cross-transmission and cross-infection. The objective of this study was to assess the cleaning quality of aspirator instruments used in neurosurgical procedures. The experimental study was conducted at the materials and sterilization center, as well as the microbiology laboratory, of a philanthropic hospital in Brazil. A study protocol was implemented, which involved the analysis of 10 samples of Yasargil aspirators with varying dimensions. The samples were subjected to protein tests to detect the presence of organic matter and microbiological analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. The results indicated that 40% of the instruments tested positive for protein after manual cleaning. Furthermore, after automated cleaning, samples showed an increased microbiological load, with Escherichia coli accounting for 20% and Klebsiella aerogenes for 10% of the identified microorganisms. This study provides evidence of failures in the cleaning process of healthcare products and highlights the presence of biofilm in the pipes, thereby compromising the drinking water quality standard.

Physicochemical and Microbial Quality of Drinking Water at Gorkha, Nepal

To assess the drinking water quality of Bhimsen Thapa Rural Municipality-6, situated in Gorkha district of Nepal, the physicochemical parameters like pH, electrical conductivity, total hardness, ammonia, and nitrate content were investigated using standard procedures. Likewise, for microbiological parameter coliform presence and absence was analyzed. A total of 37 samples were collected from four sampling stations ( the water source, water reservoir, point of collection, and household water storage) in the last week of November 2022 using simple random sampling for tap water and stratified random sampling for household water storage. When comparing the results with the National Drinking Water Quality Standards (NDWQS), 2005 and World Health Organization (WHO), 2004 guidelines, it was observed that most of the physiochemical parameters were within the standards. Based on the microbiological parameter, in most of the water samples during the study coliforms were detected indicating potential health hazards. Therefore, the findings suggest that water from these sources can be considered safe for drinking only after undergoing purification treatment. Urgent attention from relevant authorities is imperative to implement treatment measures for drinking water to ensure its safety before consumption.

Developing a safe water atlas for sustainable drinking water supply in Sonargaon Upazila, Bangladesh

Bangladesh has been relying heavily on groundwater for drinking and irrigation purposes since the 1960s. The access to safe drinking water has always been a challenge for Bangladesh due to the geogenic contamination in shallow aquifers. The objective of this study was to identify the depth for extracting safe water and to develop a safe water atlas for different unions of Sonargaon Upazila to ensure a year-round safe water supply. The concentrations of Arsenic, Iron and Manganese in groundwater were measured from 63 random water samples and compared with WHO and national drinking water quality standards. A lithological profile of the study area was developed to validate the indigenous knowledge of targeting safe depth based on sediment color. To address the challenges of groundwater depletion and contamination, the study identified and developed the technique of preparing safe water atlas for a specific region in Bangladesh, serving as a decision-making tool for households. The atlas identifies depths at which tube-wells can be installed to obtain uncontaminated groundwater, helping people make informed choices and avoid potential health risks. Additionally, the safe water atlas can support the development of safe drinking water distribution plans and assist local drillers and residents in decision-making processes.