Assessment of Drinking Water Quality at Source and Point of use of Alazhari City

Abstract

The present paper is aimed to assess the drinking water quality at source (ground water wells) and the point of use (Taps) at Al-Azhari city. The physicochemical and biological analysis of drinking water was carried out and results were compared with permissible limits established by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Sudanese Standards and Metrology Organization (SSMO). The parameters subjected to the study were pH, TDS, EC, hardness, alkalinity, chloride, Mg, Ca, K, Na as well as bacteriological analysis. All the physicochemical parameters of drinking water samples collected from Al-azhari city are within permissible limit set by WHO and SSTO. Tap6 recorded relatively higher conductivity value (1040 μS/cm). The pH of the water ranged from 6.6 to 8.3 and TDS varied between 145.6 to 728 mg/l, EC varied between 224 and 1040 μS/cm, hardness varied between 84 and 262 mg/l, alkalinity varied between 20 to 576.2 mg/l, chloride varied between 9 and 99.93 mg/l. The heavy metals concentrations were 0.004 to 45.67, 18.4 to 68.93, 0.1 to 12.81, and 1.1 to 190 mg/l for Mg, Ca, K and Na respectively. The microbiological analysis had shown that all household waters except Tap2 were contaminated with E-coli. The absence of E. coli in wells 4, 5 and 6 and its presence in Taps4, 5 and 6 concluded that water in its way to households carry pollution through water distribution system.