Abstract:
The primary supply of water for drinking, industry, and residential use in urban areas is groundwater, which is frequently over-utilized. Groundwater is frequently degraded in metropolitan areas due to increasing industrialization, urbanization, and poor solid and toxic waste management. A study was carried to examine the quality of groundwater in two of the industrial and urban sectors of Islamabad, I-10/2 and E-11/3. 30 groundwater samples were collected from both sectors, 15 from each sector covering the whole area, the collected samples underwent microbiological and physiochemical analysis. The collected samples were also analyzed for heavy metals, arsenic (As) and iron (Fe). The standard analytical techniques were followed to acquire the water samples. According to the physical parameters, all parameters were within the acceptable range, with the exception of electrical conductivity (EC), which is higher than the WHO allowable range. The chemical parameters showed chloride (Cl), sodium chloride(NaCl), sodium (Na) and alkalinity all were within the acceptable range except for total hardness, calcium, and
magnesium which were above the permissible limits in all samples. The microbiological analysis showed the growth of total bacteria in all samples. The growth of total bacteria in water samples from sector I-10/2 exceeded the permissible limit whereas the water samples from E-11/3 showed growth of total bacteria within the allowable range. The growth of microbial organisms in water samples makes it clear that water is not suitable for drinking purposes as it will cause stomach-related diseases. The results of heavy metals analysis showed that all collected water samples had no arsenic(As). The levels of iron (Fe) in collected water samples were within the permissible limit except for one groundwater sample from sector E-11/3 which exceeded the permissible limit. According to the results, the water quality of both sectors cannot be considered good. The water cannot be used for drinking purposes. If we compare the results of both sectors, the highest counts were found in sector I-10/2 compared to E-11/3, which makes it clear that the water quality of sector I-10/2 is poorer. The findings of this study highlight the necessity for local municipal authorities to manage groundwater sources effectively and to promote knowledge about the significance of clean water and groundwater resources. Improvements must be made to the policies governing water quality.
