Assessment of Drinking Water Quality : A Case Study in Barishal District, Bangladesh.

Abstract

Bangladesh is a densely populated country in South-East Asia. Increasing population along with increasing development activities lead to exploitation and pollution of water supplies readily available to us. Therefore, water quality indicators are imposed as a global problem to determine its suitability for individual uses as well as to establish major strategies for optimal use of water resources. Failure to ensure safe drinking water with efficient purification systems will leave communities vulnerable to waterborne outbreaks with harmful health conditions. The main motive of this study is to ensure the safety of drinking water quality in Barishal district. The physic-chemical parameters, i.e. pH, turbidity, total dissolved solids (TDS), electric conductivity(EC), iron content, arsenic, chloride, hardness, dissolved oxygen(DO) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) for four upazila’s were tested and compared with the Bangladesh standards along with WHO guidelines. The determined value of these tests were within the allowable range according to WHO guidelines and Bangladesh standards. This study assesses the current status of drinking water quality in Barishal district with emphasis on effective purification, disinfection and systematic monitoring services to control water pollution.