Ground water quality in the Kathmandu valley of Nepal

• Published in: Environmental monitoring and assessment Vol. 178; no. 1-4; pp. 477 - 485
• Main Author: Pant, Bhoj Raj
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.07.2011; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Alkalinity; Applied sciences; Aquifers; Arsenic; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Bacteria; Bacteria - growth & development; Bacteria - isolation & purification; Chloride; Drinking water; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Ecotoxicology; Effluents; Electrical conductivity; Environment; Environmental Management; Environmental Monitoring; Exact sciences and technology; Fluorides; Fresh Water - chemistry; Fresh Water - microbiology; Groundwater; Guidelines; Hydrochloric acid; Iron; Iron - analysis; Laboratories; Microorganisms; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Nepal; Pollutants; Pollution; Polyethylene; Potassium; Sampling techniques; Shallow wells; Studies; Temperature; Turbidity; Urban areas; Valleys; Water analysis; Water Microbiology; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water pollution; Water quality; Water quality standards; Water sampling; Water supply; Water Supply - analysis; Wells; Asia; Nepal; Nepal, Kathmandu Valley; Coliform; Kathmandu valley; Groundwaters; Sampling; Water quality; Microbiology; Pathogenic; Coliforms; Biological contamination; Ground water
• ISSN: 0167-6369; 1573-2959
• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-010-1706-y

A study was undertaken to assess the quality of groundwaters in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. The groundwater samples were randomly collected from shallow well, tube well, and deep-tube wells located at different places of Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur districts in the Kathmandu valley. Physical, chemical, and microbiological parameters of the samples were evaluated to estimate the groundwater quality for drinking water. It was found that the groundwater in the valley is vulnerable to drink due to presence of iron and coliform bacteria. Iron was estimated to be much higher then the acceptable limit of World Health Organization (WHO) drinking-water quality guidelines (1.9 mg/L). Total coliform bacteria enumerated in groundwaters significantly exceeded the drinking-water quality standard and observed maximum coliform (267 CFU/100 mL) in shallow wells. The electrical conductivity and turbidity were found to be 875 μS/cm and 55 NTU, respectively, which are above the WHO recommendations for drinking water guidelines. However, pH value was measured within the acceptable limit. Arsenic, chloride, fluoride, and hardness concentrations were found to be in agreement with the recommendations of WHO drinking-water quality guidelines.