The document discusses water quality parameters for assessing groundwater and surface water sources. It provides information on various physical, chemical, and biological parameters including pH, hardness, TDS, chloride, fluoride, nitrate, and fecal coliforms. It explains acceptable limits for these parameters according to BIS standards and potential health effects of contamination. The document also discusses how factors like geology, land use, and anthropogenic activities influence water quality in different areas.
2. Mud
Feacal Coliforms
A B
Arsenic = 0.2 mg/L
&
Fluoride = 4.5 mg/L
People’s Perception of Safe water are based on
subjective values :
Color, Odour, Taste and Suspended Impurities
3. Why Water Quality ?
At the United Nations conference at Mar del Plata in 1977,
which launched the International Drinking-Water Supply
and Sanitation Decade, this philosophy was adopted
unambiguously:“all peoples, whatever their stage of
development and social and economic condition, have the
right to have access to drinking-water in quantities and of
a quality equal to their basic needs.”
4. Water Quality
Surface water quality depends upon
Season Anthropogenic
Substratum (bed soil) Geogenic
Land use Anthropogenic
Size of habitation. Anthropogenic
Industries and waste disposal Anthropogenic
Groundwater quality depends upon
Geology Geogenic
Land use Anthropogenic
Industries and waste disposal Anthropogenic
6. Constituents in Groundwater
Major Secondary Trace Trace
(1.0 – 1,000
mg/l)
(0.01 – 10 mg/l) (0.0001 – 0.1 mg/l) (less than 0.001
mg/l)
Sodium,
Calcium,
Magnesium
Potassium, Iron Aluminum, Arsenic,
Cadmium,
Antimony,
Chromium, Copper,
Lead, Manganese,
Molybdenum,
Nickel, Phosphate,
Zinc, Uranium,
Vanadium, Selenium
etc
Beryllium,
Bismuth, Cesium,
Gallium, Gold,
Platinum, Silver,
Thorium, Tin,
Zirconium etc
Bicarbonate,
Sulfate,
Chloride,
Silica
Carbonate,
Nitrate, Fluoride,
Boron
Toxicity to Human Health
7. Water
Interaction with
rocks is less so
low TDS
Water Interaction
with rocks is More
so higher TDS
TDS Value =
20-250 mg/L or
PPM
TDS Value =
200-18000 mg/L
or PPM
Major ions Ca,
Mg, Cl, NO3
Major ions Ca,
Mg, Cl, NO3,
SO4, Na, K
Minor ions Zn,
Pb, Cd, Cu,
etc.
Minor ions As,
F, U etc.
Unconfined
Aquifer
Confined
Aquifer 1
Confined
Aquifer 2
9. pH
Degree of acidity or alkalinity
Extreme low or high pH is hazardous
High value causes eye irritation and of skin disorder
Low pH value causes redness and irritation of eyes, impart a sour taste to
water, increase toxicity of water by dissolving heavy metals easily
The BIS standard 10500:2012 is 6.5-8.5
10. Total Hardness
Indicator of calcium and magnesium ions
Ameliorate toxicity of hazardous heavy metals
High value of Hardness consumes more soap
Encrustation in water supply structure
Scale formation in boilers.
The BIS standard 10500:2012 is 300-600 mg/l.
11. Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
Total dissolved solids (TDS) is a measure of the all substances dissolved in
water.
TDS is in the study of water quality for streams, rivers and lakes, although
TDS is not generally considered a primary pollutant.
Total dissolved solids arise from the weathering and dissolution of rocks
and soils.
Primary sources for TDS in receiving waters are agricultural and residential
runoff, leaching of soil contamination and point source water pollution
discharge from industrial or sewage treatment plants.
The BIS standard 10500:2012 is 500–2000 mg/l
12. Electrical Conductivity (EC)
Conductivity is the ability of water to conduct an electrical
current, and the dissolved ions are the conductors.
Salts that dissolve in water break into positively and negatively
charged ions.
13. Salinity
Salinity is a measure of the amount of salts in the water.
Because dissolved ions increase salinity as well as conductivity, the two
measures are related. The salts in sea water are primarily sodium chloride
(NaCl).
Salinity is the total of all non-carbonate salts dissolved in water unlike
chloride (Cl–) concentration, you can think of salinity as a measure of the
total salt concentration, comprised mostly of Na+ and Cl– ions.
14. Chloride
Major inorganic anions.
Indicator of fecal coliforms in water source.
Produce salty taste, harmful for metallic pipes and growing plants
A sudden increase in chloride content indicates organic (sewage)
contamination
The BIS standard 10500:2012 is 250-1000mg/l.
15. Chloride Contamination
Leaching of sedimentary rocks and soils and the dissolution of salt deposits.
Other sources of chloride in groundwater include
River Streambeds with salt-containing minerals
Runoff from salted roads
Irrigation water returned to streams
Water softener regeneration
Saltwater intrusion and sea spray in coastal areas.
Leachate from dumps or landfills.
Water softener backwash.
Sewage contamination.
Leachate from abandoned, deep exploration holes or mines (rare).
16. Total Alkalinity
Acid neutralizing capacity
Carbonate, bicarbonate & hydroxide ions
High value unfits water for irrigation
Alkalinity imparts bitter taste to water
The BIS standard 10500:2012 is 200–600 mg/l
17. Nitrate
Nitrate generally occurs in traces in surface water, but may attain
considerable concentrations
Inadequately treated sewage waters, run-off, and poorly functioning
septic systems.
Blue baby syndrome in infants.
The BIS standard 10500:2012 is 45 mg/l.
18.
19. Fluoride
Occur naturally in water added by anthropogenic and
geogenic activities.
Up-to 0.5 mg/l, fluoride reduces dental caries without harm.
Higher levels may cause fluorosis in the following stages:
• Dyspepsia and indigestion – non–skeletal fluorosis.
• Affecting the human teeth (dental fluorosis)
• Disruption of entire skeletal system (skeletal fluorosis).
The BIS standard 10500:2012 is 1-1.5 mg/l.
25. Usage
Lack of information on fluorosis and fluoride
concentration in the drinking water is causing lot of
fluorosis cases all across India.
Irrigation Drinking
26. Concentration of Fluoride in
different rocks
SN Rocks Ave. fluoride
content (ppm)
1 Granites 870
2 Slates and clays 800
3 Basalts 360
4 Phosphorites 31000
5 Sandstone 180
6 Limestone 220
27. Total Iron
An essential trace element, required to transport oxygen in blood and to
reduce toxicity of other heavy metals
Aesthetic problem
Water becomes brackish color, rusty sediment, bitter or metallic taste,
brown-green stains water gets iron bacteria, discolored beverages.
The BIS standard 10500:2012is 0.3 mg/l
28. Arsenic
Rock contains 1.5-2.0 milligram of arsenic per kilogram. But, in
contaminated soil, concentration of arsenic may be up to 500 mg/kg.
Arsenic content of natural water may be up to 1-2 g/L.
Most fruits, vegetables, meats and fishes contain arsenic; but arsenic levels
in sea water and sea fishes are higher. Sea fish may contain 5 mg of arsenic
per kg weight.
An intake of 150 microgram of arsenic per day should not cause any
harmful effect to human being, but very sensitive person often becomes sick
with as low as 20 microgram of arsenic a day
30. Fecal Coliform
The most important and critical parameter.
Coliforms bacteria, including fecal coliforms, are not pathogenic, but occur
along with enteric pathogenic organisms which may cause diseases like
typhoid, para-typhoid, gastroenteritis, cholera, dysentery, diarrhea.
Fecal coliforms bacteria are mainly found in the faeces of human and other
mammals & birds, which are prime causes of water borne diseases.
Presence of coliforms in treated water suggest inadequate treatment, post
treatment contamination or excessive nutrient load.
32. Contaminant’s Behavior
Tendency to concentrate
Bioaccumulation of contaminants in Non-confined
Aquifers.
The polluted river system will contaminate the large scale
at a very high rate.
For example Yamuna River in Delhi the contaminants
present in river are also in handpumps or borewell
Erin Brockovich Movie is the best example.
Kanpur is also facing same chromium contaminants in
groundwater.
34. Relation between sewage disposal practices and Faecal
contamination-Almora
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
FC
(CFU/100
ml)
Sewage
disposal
practices
in
%
Septic Tank
Soak Pit
Direct discharge in drain
Sewer line
FC
36. Testing Frequency
Weekly or in 15 days Seasonal (Once or Twice)
pH Alkalinity (Also Required when change in
pH)
Temperature (If Required) Hardness (Calcium & Magnesium)
Colour Chloride
Odour Sulphate
Turbidity Nitrate
Total Dissolved Solids Phosphate
Residual Chlorine Fluoride
Total Coliforms Iron
Parameter of Concern Heavy Metals
37. Seasonal Testing
Summer (Lean Season)
Determines the contaminants load added to a human body
Pre Monsoon
Determines the status of contaminants before onset of
monsoon
Post Monsoon
Determines the dilution of contaminants after monsoon
Winters (Lean Season)
Determines the aquifer behaviour.
40. Coal Mining
Coal Deposits occur along
southern fringe of Shillong
plateau distributed in Khasi
Hills, Garo Hills, and Jaintia
Hills.
Coal Extraction was done by
primitive methods known as rat
hole mining.
Water bodies are the greatest
victims of coal mining.
41. Jaintia Hills
The Jaintia Hills District of Meghalaya is a major coal
producing area with an estimated coal reserve of about 40
million tonnes.
The three coal seams vary from 30 to 212 cm in thickness.
The main characteristics of the coal found in Jaintia Hills
are its low ash content, high volatile matter, high calorific
value and comparatively high sulphur content (Acidic
Mines).
42. Deterioration of water quality
The water is badly affected by contamination of Acid
Mines Drainage (AMD) originating from mines and
spoils, leaching of heavy metals, organic enrichment and
silting by coal and sand particles.
Low pH (between 2-3, facilitates leaching of toxic metals
into the water), high conductivity, high concentration of
sulphates, iron and toxic heavy metals, low dissolved
oxygen (DO) and high BOD characterize the degradation
of water quality.
43. Heavy Metals in Indian Fly Ash
Heavy Metals
Sharma et al
(mg/kg)
Dharamdhikari et.
al. (mg/kg)
Fulekar & Dave et.
al. (mg/kg)
Selenium - Traces -4.5 0.2-134
Arsenic - 0-4.5 2.8 - 6300
Cobalt - 0-1.9 7 -49
Copper 77.6 0.4- 2.3 14 - 1000
Chromium 13.31 0.3 - 4.6 10 - 690
Lead 137.2 0.2 - 6.1 7 - 279
Manganese 219.3 0.3 - 5.8 0.01 - 0.3
Nickel 230 0 - 2.4 10 - 4300
Zinc 88.2 0.5 - 7.8 36 - 1333
Cadmium 23.8 - 7 - 130
Boron - - 48 - 618
Iron 63237 - 1 - 26
Studies of Trace Metals in Acidic Fly Ash; M R
Hajarnavis; Journal of Scientific & Industrial
Research Vo1.59, May 2000, pp 381-388
44. Mercury Content in coal from Mine
in Singrauli Area
S.No. Name of Mine
Mercury content
(µg/gm)
1 Kalari 0.05
2 Bina 0.13
3 Khadia 0.08
4 Jayant 0.18
48. Visual Interpretation
Visible effects Reasons
water turns black, smell Waste water
Acidic taste Low pH
Alkaline taste High pH
Boiled Rice hard and yellow High Alkalinity
White deposits on boiling Hardness
49. SN. Type of the
water source
Total
number of
tested
sources
No. of water
sources(Fluorid
e conc. <1.5
mg/l)
No. of water
sources
(Fluoride conc.
>1.5 mg/l)
% of
fluoride
affected
sources
1 Handpump 83 27 56 67%
2 Well 17 17 - 0%
3 Tubewell 03 - 03 100%
4 Pond 06 06 - 0%
Tabular representation of Data
In Numbers
and %
50. SN Type of
source
% of fluoride affected sources (> 1.5 mg/l)
Sonebhadra
(UP)
Unnao
(UP)
Nuapada
(Orissa)
Khurda
(Orissa)
Dhar
(MP)
1 Handpump 60 15 50 60 67
2 Well 45 90 30 56 0
3 Tubewell 78 5 50 60 100
4 Pond 45 0 10 0 0
Tabular representation of Data
Comparative
%
54. Sewage Disposal Practices vs FC
(Monsoon 2016)
0
500000
1000000
1500000
2000000
2500000
3000000
3500000
4000000
4500000
5000000
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Dhara Naula
group
Tunka,
Tularam
group
Kapina Naula
group
Laxmeshwar Rani Dhara Rotou Dhara Siddh Naula Simkheri
Dhara
FC
(CFU/100
ml)
Sewage
disposal
practices
in
%
Relationship between Sewage disposal practices and FC Contamination
Septic Tank
Soak Pit
Direct discharge in drain
Sewer line
FC (monsoon)
55. Relation between Chloride, Nitrate and FC in winter
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
FC
(CFU/100
ml)
Cl
in
mg/l
Relation between Chloride and FC (winter)
Cl
FC
Linear (Cl)
Linear (FC)
62. Safe drinking water
Free from pathogenic organisms
Clear
Not saline
Free from offensive taste or smell
Free from compounds that may have adverse effect
on human health
Free from chemicals that cause corrosion of water
supply systems
See BIS Standard: 10500; 1996
63. Case Study
Contamination Control or eradication of contaminants through
water harvesting Structure
This is a case of village where recharge activities fulfill the
basic right for safe and sufficient water.
Community Mobilization also done to protect recharge site.