A Cross-Sectional Community based Study to Analyse Drinking Water Quality in an Urban Area of Kolkata Municipal Corporation

Abstract

Health of the community can be at risk due to chemical and biological contaminants in drinking water. An appropriate management and monitoring is necessary to ensure both its quantity and quality. The objective of this study was to estimate the physical, chemical and microbiological qualities of drinking water in an urban area under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, study its association with the occurrence of diarrhoeaand finally compare drinking water quality of urban non-slum and slum areas. A community based cross-sectional study was conducted among 50 urban households. Jal Tara water testing kit was used in this study.The researchers found that pipe water was available to 86% of the urban households as primary source of water. Sanitary latrine was present in 100% of the households. Alkalinity, Chloride, Nitrate, Fluoride and pH level was found to be normal. Turbidity of water in urban slum and non-slum area was found as 40% and 8.57% respectively. Residual Chloride in urban non slum and slum area found as less 20% and excess 22.86% & less13.33% and excess26.67%. Interestingly, approximately 94% of the water samples were hard in nature. Ammonia values were also found to be higher than desired limits. 10% of the water samples were contaminated with coliform organisms. 20% and 5.71% diarrheal cases were found in urban slum and urban non slum households respectively. Diarrhoea was significantly more frequent among households consuming coliform contaminated water (p<0.05). As human population suffers from various water borne diseases by the contaminated drinking water, it is therefore necessary that the quality of drinking water should be checked at regular intervals by authorities.