Drinking Water Quality

Drinking Water Quality In Pakistan

Several potential sources are present to contaminate drinking water. Bacterial, chemical and many other types of contamination of drinking water has been reported to be one of the most serious problems throughout the country in rural as well as urban areas. 

Such contamination is attributed to leakage of pipes, pollution from sewerage pipes due to problem within the distribution system, intermittent water supply, and shallow water tables due to human activities. A second strong source for ground water contamination in irrigated and industrial areas is chemical pollution from toxic substances from the industrial effluents, textile dyes, pesticides, nitrogenous fertilizers, arsenic and other chemicals. 

In addition, excessive monsoon rains, floods, herbicides, fungicides, untreated municipal waste, sewage breakdowns, and coastal water pollution due to waste discharges and oil spills are extremely hazardous for drinking water. For the sake of public health, it is absolutely essential 

to establish drinking water quality by strict monitoring and regularization and criteria to save the general public in Pakistan. 

in Pakistan, people use low quality water for drinking including foul smelling, bad tasting, turbid or colored water to determine that it is not suitable for drinking. The agencies responsible for monitoring of water quality perform periodic checks of the basic water parameters against certain recommended standards. 

In 1999, Hashmi & Shahab advocated for the strong need to establish standards and guidelines for quality drinking water. In 2002, the Pakistan Standards Institute compiled the preliminary standards for quality drinking water. In 2004, Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources 

prepared a report related to water quality in Pakistan with recommendations for establishing standards. In March 2005, Health Services Academy, the Ministry of Health, Government of Pakistan in collaboration with World Health Organisation (WHO) sponsored, organised and 

conducted a 4-day workshop in Islamabad. The purpose of this workshop was to 

review current standards implemented in Pakistan for quality control of drinking water and update these standards in accordance with the quality standards of WHO. 

In this work shop, 33 representatives from the different organizations were participated including United Nations Development Program, UNICEF, Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency, PSQCA, Pakistan Council for Research in Water Resources, PINSTECH / Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Institute of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pakistan Standard Quality Control Authority Development 

Centre, Environmental Protection Agency-Sindh, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Social Security Hospital, Lahore Engineering University, and Pakistan Medical and Dental Council. 

1. Through a combination of lectures, discussions, intense work Sessions, and utilization of reading literature provided by WHO and Ministry of Health, quality standards for drinking water in Pakistan were finalized. During all sessions, a careful attention was given to the following considerations: All modifications in standards remain in correspondence with the social, cultural, geological, economic, technical and other significant conditions specific to the regional areas. 
2. A review of existing national research-based data related to drinking water quality should be conducted.
3. The work done by individual experts and by specialists from different agencies throughout the country should be coordinated and utilized in the finalization of standards. 
4. In addition to WHO guidelines and standards, US EPA standards, Malaysian standards, and Indian water quality standards were to be utilized for further benefits.
5. The standards must have a long range positive impact on human health in Pakistan.
6. Recommendations should be made based on the finalized standards for future plans of action. 

Quality Standards for Drinking Water 

1. Physical

Parameters                                                    Standard Value

Colour                                                         ≤15 TCU  

Taste                                               Non objectionable/Acceptable 

Odour                                              Non objectionable/Acceptable 

Turbidity                                                     < 5 NTU  

Total hardness as CaCO3                              < 500 mg/l   

TDS                                                           < 1000   

pH                                                               6.5 – 8.5   

2.  Chemical 

Aluminium (Al)                                          <0.2 mg/l   

Antimony (Sb)                                         <0.005 mg/l   

Arsenic (As)                                             <0.05 mg/l  

Barium (Ba)                                                0.7 mg/l

Boron (B)                                                   0.3  mg/l  

Cadmium (Cd)                                            0.01 mg/l

Chloride (Cl)                                             <250  mg/l 

Chromium (Cr)                                          <0.05 mg/l

Copper (Cu)                                                2 2 mg/l

3.  Toxic Inorganic 

Cyanide (CN)                                          <0.05 mg/l 

Fluoride (F)                                             <1.5  mg/l 

Lead (Pb)                                              <0.05  mg/l

Manganese (Mn)                                      <0.5  mg/l

Mercury (Hg)                                         <0.001 mg/l  

Nickel (Ni)                                             <0.02  mg/l  

Nitrate (NO3)                                          <50   mg/l

Nitrite (NO2)                                            <3   mg/l

Selenium (Se)                                         0.01  mg/l

Residual Chlorine                             0.2-0.5 at consumer end & 

                                                        0.5-1.5 at source 

Zinc (Zn)                                                 5.0  mg/l

4.  Organic 

Phenolic compounds (as Phenols)                            < 0.002 

Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (as PAH)     0.01 ( By GC/MS method) 

5.  Radioactive 

Alpha Emitters bq/L or pCi                        0.1 

Beta emitters                                         1 1