ASSESMENT OF DRINKING WATER QUALITY OF DISTRICT MANSEHRA, KHYBER PAKHTUNKHAWA, PAKISTAN

Abstract

Drinking water quality of the major water resources of district Mansehra of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province was assessed for detection of concentration of various containments. Physico-chemical, microbiological contamination is the major component of assessment of drinking water quality. The objective of this study was to assess various drinking water resources to identify the containments and to detect their chemical and biological concentrations. More than 210 drinking water samples were collected from 56 different locations of the district. The samples were analysed for drinking water, aesthetic, physical parameters, chemical and biological parameters through APHA standard methods and field and laboratory-based instruments. The results from the analysis were further compared with Pakistan National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) and World Health Organization (WHO) water quality guidelines. The results have shown that the high level of microbiological contamination exists in all the water sources except tube well. Large number of populations is dependent on contaminated water sources such as springs, supply schemes, streams and dug wells. More than 89 % of the samples were recorded with high level of bacteriological presence. Similarly, high concentration of TDS, turbidity, Iron, Nitrate, and hardness were also found above desirable safe limits making water unfit for human use. However toxic heavy metals such as Arsenic, Copper, Chromium, Lead, Mercury and Zinc were detected in few water samples but are within permissible limits of WHO. The limited detection of heavy metal is district Mansehra is due to limited industrial activities. It was concluded through evidence that existing water resources due to high level of microbiological contamination are unfit for human consumption and authorities must provide low-cost water filtration technologies such as chlorination and increase public outreach to enhance awareness about various harmful effects of water contamination.