Key Words: Potable Water, Water quality, Microbial contamination, Dakshin Khan, Bangladesh.
J. Bio. Env. Sci. 8(5), 128-135, May 2016.
The aim of this study was to assess the physiochemical and microbiological quality of DWASA supplied drinking water in Dakshin khan area, Dhaka, Bangladesh. A total of twenty one water samples in three groups were collected from DWASA water supply pumps, house taps and tube wells. The physiochemical properties i.e. Dissolved Oxygen, pH, Total Dissolved Solids, Turbidity, Electrical Conductivity, were studied by to evaluate the quality of drinking water. Total coliform was studied to assess the microbiological quality of water by membrane filtration method. The physicochemical properties of different sources varied with location and were found in acceptable range in accordance with WHO and Bangladesh guidelines except for EC and TDS. The electrical conductivity was very high, ranged from 170 to 552 μS/cm. On the other hand, TDS value was in limit 100 to 200 mg/l which is very low. Significantly higher bacterial counts (33 CFU/ml to 1.0 × 103 CFU/ml) were recorded in the samples from house taps which might be injurious to health but was acceptable in tube wells and WASA pumps. Hence, the intrusion of wastewater through leakage in distribution lines of Dhaka WASA supply chain might be the source of microbiological contamination of drinking water.