Current Status of Groundwater Quality in Naogaon District, Bangladesh

Abstract

Due to increasing population and development activities that have over-exploited and polluted the water resources available to us, water quality has become a worldwide concern. A key consideration for human wellbeing is the consistency of drinking water as the lack of adequate water treatment and safe delivery of filtered drinking water would lead the population at risk of disease outbreaks or other adverse health effects. As the ongoing degradation in the situation of water quality in Bangladesh presents significant health risks to the population, a rapid evaluation of the quality of drinking water from the point of supply to the point of use is significant to develop the public health. This paper focuses on the investigation of water quality parameters in Naogaon district, a major economic and agricultural center of Bangladesh. The assessment was undertaken by comparing test results of water quality parameters with the WHO and Bangladesh standard guidelines. The study findings show that the water quality in the chosen study locations was found suitable for use in agriculture, industrial or domestic applications without any prior treatment. However, pH, turbidity, and iron level were not within a standard level in Raninagar, where manganese level was found higher in Manda Upazila, hence, would not be suitable for drinking without required treatment of these parameters. The outcomes of this research would help the water resources management authority and consumers about the current status of groundwater quality in Naogaon district and enables them to take necessary action for water treatment for protecting public health from long-term complex diseases.