Abstract:
Public health is at threat due to bacterial, chemical, and heavy metal contamination in drinking water. Drinking poor-quality water has direct health concerns, and a major death rate is associated with water-borne diseases. Drinking water reserves are prone to pollutants and contaminants depending on anthropogenic, industrial, and agricultural activities and geological
conditions. In this era, ensuring drinking water safety is a growing problem worldwide. In this study, drinking water quality was assessed in which different physicochemical parameter, heavy metal and microbial contamination was studied on samples collected from Block A, B, C and D in Satellite Town, Rawalpindi. To study pH, temperature, TDS, electric conductivity, and
salinity were studied through “PH/TDS/Conductivity/Salinity/Temperature Meter-(IMCTS-08)”. A turbidity meter was used to measure the turbidity of collected samples whereas an acid-base titration method was performed to measure carbonates and bicarbonates, hardness, chlorides, calcium, and magnesium. The microbial contamination was studied through the colony counting method. It is encouraging that all physicochemical parameters were found within the permissible limits except that the temperature was slightly higher and the pH was also found to be slightly alkaline. The chemical parameters including NaHCO3, Na2CO3, HCO3, CO3, Na, Cl,, Ca, Mg and hardness were also observed within the permissible limits of WHO. The assessment of microbial contamination in the drinking water sample confirms the presence of total bacteria, coliforms and E.coli and an absence of Shigella and Salmonella. This confirms fecal contamination in drinking water. The heavy metal assessment demonstrated that Zinc and cadmium were found within the safe and acceptable limit, but nickel (0.0003-0.29mg/L), iron (0.34-0.51mg/L) and lead (0.003-0.08) exceeded the permissible limits. Therefore, heavy metal and bacterial contamination confirmed that this drinking water supply is not fit for human consumption and can result in various water-borne and mental illnesses. Proper treatment facilities and awareness is required to improve and ensure public health.
