ASSESSMENT OF SURFACE AND GROUND WATER IN PHULBARI UPAZILA NORTH EAST OF BANGLADESH

Abstract

A study was carried out to evaluate the quality of groundwater of 93 tube wells (HTW, STW and DTW) under phulbari upazila in the Dinajpur district. The samples were chemically analyzed and classified on the basis of their comparative suitability for irrigation, drinking and livestock consumption. The chemical analyses included pH, EC, TDS, Ca, Mg, K, Na, Fe, Mn, Cu, PO, and SO,. Water samples were acidic to neutral (pH = 5.32- 7.00) and only 12 samples were found suitable for irrigation. The EC and SAR categorized the water as low to medium salinity (Cl & C2) and low alkalinity hazard with 'excellent' and good in quality combinedly expressed as (CIS1) for 63 samples and (C2S1) for the rest 30 samples. TDS graded the waters as freshwater. SSP indicated that 51 water were good, 30 were permissible, 5 were excellent, 5 were doubtful and the rest 2 were unsuitable. Categorized most of the waters as suitable only four were marginal quality for irrigation. Iron, Cu, status of all waters and PO, and SO, of some waters were not hazardous. Only 24 were found suitable for long-term irrigation based on Mn content. Sixty three samples for Fe and 80 samples for Mn exceeded the acceptable limits for drinking and the rest 30 samples for Fe and 13 samples for Mn were problematic, respectively. All waters were unsuitable for aquaculture, poultry and brewing. Iron content of all waters was unsuitable for aquaculture, brewing and paper and pulp industries. Twenty-seven, 22 and 81 samples were suitable for poultry, air-conditioning and textile. Eighty, 73, 68, 74 and 84 were unsuitable for carbonated beverage, confectionery, ice manufacture, and laundering and sugar industries, respectively. Considering Mn content, 66 waters were unsuitable for carbonated beverage and laundering. Eighty-five 3, 25, 33, 16, 89 and 2 were suitable for air-conditioning brewing confectionery, ice manufacture, tanning, textile as well as paper and pulp, respectively. Sulphate status was graded as suitable for all purposes. None of the waters alone were suitable for aquaculture poultry and some industrial usage. The relationship between different water quality criteria like pH, EC, TDS, SAR, SSP, and Hy were established and the combinations such as pH vs EC, EC vs TDS, EC vs SAR, EC vs H;, TDS vs SAR, TDS vs SSP, and SAR vs SSP show significant positive correlation but the combinations like pH vs TDS, EC vs SSP, TDS vs Hy, SAR vs Hr, and SSP vs Hy exhibited negative correlation.