Well Water Quality Analysis-Physical, Chemical & Microbiological Parameters of Water Samples From Ernakulam District, Kerala, India

Abstract

The  present  study  has  been  carried  out  to  assess  the  quality  of  groundwater  resources  of  Ernakulam  district,  Kerala,  India.  Sample  was  collected  from  five  target  areas  which  includes  Edathala,  Nedumbassery,  Perumbvoor,  Eloor  and  Paravur  points  in  Ernakulam  district  and  analysed  for  pH,  TDS,  Alkalinity,  Total  Dissolved  Solids,  Total  hardness,  Dissolved  Oxygen,  chlorides,  iron  and  presence  of  coliforms  (based  on  MPN  index)  as  well.  On  analysing  the  MPN  of  coliform  levels,  it  was  found  that  all  the  samples  except  S4  were  contaminated  by  coliform  bacteria  and  is  not  suitable  for  drinking  purpose.  Well  water  sample  taken  from  Perumbavoor  was  highly  contaminated  with  coliform  content  of  2400 CFU/mL.  The  well  waters  exhibited  TDS  (average  values  from  19-181 mg/L),  total  hardness  (6.2-87 mg/L),  alkalinity  (2.5 -80 mg/L), pH (5.1-7.2), turbidity  (0.1 -7.5 NTU),  chloride (8-31 mg/L),  dissolved  oxygen (6.67 – 8.27)  and  total  iron  as  Fe  (0.08-0.72 mg/L).  The  total  iron  content  and  turbidity  from  sample  S5  exceeded  the  maximum  permissible  limits  and  all  other  parameters  were  within  the  acceptable  limit  of  drinking  purposes.