groundwater samples

International journal on environmental sciences

Water is a vital resource for human survival. In the present study, the physicochemical characteristics of groundwater of Ambala Cantonment area were assessed for its suitability for drinking purposes. A total of 26 water samples were collected from deep aquifer based tube wells from different parts of Ambala Cantonment area. In order to assess the ground water quality, the water samples were analyzed for different physicochemical properties, e.g., pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), calcium, magnesium, total harness (TH), sodium, potassium, carbonate, bicarbonate, total alkalinity (TA), chloride, fluoride and sulphate concentrations. The results were compared with the standards prescribed by World Health Organization (WHO) and Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS). All the physiochemical parameters were found to be in the prescribed permissible limit. The correlation matrix was also calculated for different parameters of drinking water. From the pH values it is clear that the ground water of the study area is alkaline in nature and the total hardness varies in between 116.6129.4 mg/l, which indicates that water in the deep aquifer is moderately hard. Hence it is suggested to the cantonment localities to soften the tube well water before consumption.

Assessment of drinking water quality: A case study of Ambala cantonment area, Haryana, India