Assessment Of Drinking Water Quality In New Half Settement villages And The Town

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to assess the drinking \vaterquality in the New l-lall'a area settlement villages and the town". The study area \vatcr samples \vere divided into three types: Water from ground wcll (villagc”l5”)- treated surface \vater lrom the town —untrealed surlace \vater lrom the villages, this \vas divided spatially as (southern sector villages"7,l0", middle sector villages “5.l l.l2”, northern sector villages “2l,22,24”). These locations \vere chosen to cover the \vhole area. Four sources for each site were selected (priciptation \vcll-storage and suppling tank-taps at first and end of the distribution net), samples from this sources were collected for physical, chemical and bacteriological analysis in the winter and the summcrscason to see any variation during these seasons .The physical and chemical parameters which investigated were(temperature,turbidity, pH, E.C, TDS, T.H, T.Alk, sol" ,cr_ca"_ Mg’*,Na*,1<*,Fe,cu,c1-"*, NH3, NO2',NO_{,F',COD,and residual chlorine in ease olitreated water. The bacteriological analysis determined were : total colonies, total ' colilorms, thermotolerant eoliforms, faccal coliform, and Taeeal streptococci. The study showed that there was no faecal pollution in the ground water tapped from boreholes and the treated waterof the town at taps, \vhilc in the untreated surface water samples from the sectors villages, showed huge faeeal pollution, where there is no-treatment or due to bad conditions surronding the stations and the distribution- nets. The bacteriological pollution increases more in \vinter season than in summer, Probably due to enhanced activities of bacteria in the winter. Also the study confirmed that unplanned houses “kanabi" play a major role in polluting the surface water, in addition to mismangemenl olithe drinking water. The study also showed that the concentration olithe chemical parameters were in the permissible levels of thc(Wl-lOl99S)standards, except that, the nitritcs were in high levels particularly in winter_ This may be due to the use oi‘ nitrogen compounds in agricultural activities. ' The study recommended the following solutions: — To maintains all drinking water stations in the villages and the town. - To urgently excavate boreholes where village's geology permits as an alternative to surface water, which is subjected to pollution. - To provide the unplanned houses (kanabi) with latrines to avoid misusing the canals.