Potable water quality characteristics of the urban areas of Peshawar (Pakistan) part 1: Tubewell water

Potable water quality of the urban areas of Peshawar was monitored for Vari ous physical and chemical parameters. The importance of this reference data related to the water quality of Peshawar was felt after spreading of some water borne diseases, mainly diarrhea in one of the areas Of Peshawar (Sufa id Dheri) during the summer 1999 in which a few people had died and several were hospitalized. Forty three water samples from different tube wells of the urban areas of P eshawar were analysed for pH, TDS, TSS, electrical conductivity, turbidity, total hardness, calcium magnesium, alkalinity, chloride, nitrate, sodium a nd potassium The concentrations of these analytes were found in the ranges; pH (6.0-7.9) TDS (180.20-351.82 mg/l), TSS (1.05-4.21 mg/l), Electrical co nductivity (200-390 mg/l) turbidity (0.3-2.1 NTU), total hardness (126.17-4 58.91 mg/l) calcium (21.81-90.90 mg/l), magnesium (12.50-80.72 mg/l), bicar bonates (132-244 mg/l), chloride (10.04-54.45 mg/l) sulphate (16.43-80.28 m g/l) nitrate (1.8-35.2 mg/l) sodium (7.9-74.6 mg/l) and potassium (1.6-6.2 mg/l) Mean concentration values of the different analytes of Peshawar water were also found Average vales of; pH (7.06+/-0.45), TDS (284.57+/-51.16 mg /l), TSS (2.27+/-1.03 mg/l), Electrical conductivity (315.58+/-57.28 mg/l), turbidity (0.73+/-0.42 NTU, total hardness (306.23+/-70.64 mg/l), calcium (61.61+/-12.23 mg/l),magnesium (36.03+/-13.47 mg/l), bicarbonates(187.84+/- 25.87 mg/l), chloride (31.41+/-10.55 mg/l), sulphate (49.43+/-16.15 mg/l), nitrate (19.21+/-10.58mg/l), sodium (28.92+/-9.95 mg/l), and potassium (3.6 5+/-1.17 mg/l), Alkalinity (due to hydroxide and carbonate) and nitrites we re found absent All the analytes were found to be within the WHO permissible limits. This p aper concludes that, waters of all the tube wells of Peshawar (under study) are safe for human consumption provided the supply lines and the storage t anks are prevented firm being contaminated A lowering trend in the pH of un derground waters of Peshawar was seas the reason to this was not found The results presented in this papa also contradict the previous statement about the nitrate concentration in the tube well waters of Peshawar to have been decreasing.