Assessment of Well drinking Water Quality in Samrab, Dardog and Hattab Communities, Khartoum North, Sudan

Abstract

The quality of drinking water in some of the northern suburb communities of Khartoum North, Sudan was investigated with respect to electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved salts (TDS), pH, major ions (Ca +2 , Mg +2 , Na + , K + , SO4 -2 , NO3 ,HCO3 , Cl ) and total iron, beside coliform bacteria (E.coli and streptococci) as an indicators of fecal contamination. The results obtained revealed that 20% of the samples were above the maximum limit of both 1.6dSm -1 and 1000mgl -1 set by SSMO and WHO for EC and TDS, respectively. About 25% of the samples exceeded the maximum limit of 200 mg/l set by SSMO and WHO for Na + . Most of the major ions and total iron were found within the recommended limits of the local, regional and international standards of drinking water. Microbiological analyses indicated that 55% of the samples were contaminated with coliform bacteria. It may be recommended that continuous assessment of drinking water quality, on routine basis, is imperative and a better management and monitoring are warranted to reduce the deterioration of aquifer water quality in the region.