Chemical Investigation of the Drinking Water Sources from Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

In Pakistan, the quality of drinking water is not properly managed and various studies provide evidence that most of the drinking-water sources are contaminated. In this study, 39 water samples were collected from open wells, hand pumps and public water supply schemes of the highly populated 13 union councils from the urban area of district Mardan, to find out their suitability for drinking purposes. These were investigated for various chemical parameters including sulfate (SO ), fluoride (F), chloride (Cl), ), nitrate (NO ), 43 sodium (Na), potassium (K), iron (Fe) and arsenic (As), using standard methods of analysis recommended by American Public Health Association (APHA). The results of various parameters showed variations from the WHO and Pakistan recommended standard values for drinking water. The Na of 15%, SO of 13% and Cl of 4 2- - 2% samples were found high than the WHO/Pakistan recommended values for drinking water. Geological strata of the area, surrounding pollution sources, age, poor construction and maintenance were found to be the key factors responsible for water quality deterioration of the various water sources. The usage of house hold sand filter and innovative bio-sand filter may be successfully applied as low cost techniques to get clean and safe drinking water.