The chemical and microbiological quality of potable water in the Al-Ga
ssim Region of Saudi Arabia was investigated. The analytical results o
btained indicated that there are considerable variations among the exa
mined samples with respect to their chemical constituents, which only
occasionally fell above the maximum permissible levels of the Saudi dr
inking water standards. Of all the water classes studied, the locally
stored municipal water showed the highest mean concentration for the c
hemical constituents measured. Microbiological analyses indicate that
the only issue of true concern is the total coliform, which was too nu
merous to count and, therefore, warrants more attention. Copyright (C)
1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.