Assessment of Physical Quality of Drinking Water at Guduru District, Western Ethiopia

Master's Thesis from the year 2015 in the subject Geography / Earth Science - Physical Geography, Geomorphology, Environmental Studies, grade: A, Haramaya University (University), course: Physics, language: English, abstract: A number of factors like geology, soil, effluents, sewage disposal and other environmental conditions in which the water stays or moves and interacts are among the factors that affect the quality of water. The sample of water was collected from six towns of Guduru district.

The objective of this study was to assess the physical quality of drinking water and suitability for drinking purpose. The physical water quality parameters examined by laboratory using standard procedure were temperature, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), turbidity, total dissolved solids (TDS), total suspended solids (TSS) and total solids (TS). ANOVA and mean

comparison were made to compare the difference between physically quality of tap water sample and well water. The study show that the mean values of tap water of temperature, pH, EC, Turbidity TDS, TSS, and TS ranged from 24.41 to 27.68°C, 7.35 to 7.52, 231.33 to 407.5 µS/cm, 1.5 NTU to 3.13 NTU, 154.77 to 273.02 mg/l, 56.33 to 223.78 mg/l, 211.12 to 496.83 mg/l, respectively and the mean values well water of temperature, pH, EC, Turbidity TDS, TSS, and TS ranged from 24.15 to 25.01°C, 7.35 to 7.55, 59 to 761.66µS/cm,1.01 NTU to 4.26 NTU, 39.5 to 510.32 mg/l, 5.92 to 321.7 mg/l, 45.45 to 832.11 mg/l, respectively.

From the result of physical parameter studied the temperature and turbidity of both tap water and well water fells the standards of drinking water which indicates not suitable for direct consumption. The electrical conductivity and total dissolved solid of Ayele well water results were above the recommended value of standards. This implies that water from most wells in

the study area is not in any way safe nor suitable for direct consumption. The increasing in TDS in Ayele well water might be due to increased amounts of inorganic and organic detritus from the surrounding environment in which the well exist. The highest value of TS at Ayele well water was due to high value of TDS and TSS in the town. Further study is initiated for

the sources of difference of physical parameters of tap and well water with in locations and along locations