Evaluation of water quality and its quotient factor in Therkutheru village, Madurai, India

The major challenge in rural areas of Madurai district is to gain access to clean and potable water and these results in water borne diseases. The objective of this study was to assess physical, chemical, biochemical and microbial profile of water in 12 hand – dug wells in a rural area, Therkutheru of Madurai District. Probing of water quality in seasonal variations and proximity to pollution sources (municipal waste dumps and defecation sites) was done. Water quality parameters were determined following the standard procedures mentioned in APHA. All parameters were detected up to 200m from pollution sources. Almost all water parameters have shown high increase during the rainy season over the dry periods, pointing to infiltrations from storm water. Significantly Pb, NO3, Cd Coliform level have exceeded the recommended values for potable water. The distance from the pollution sources has more pronounced on fecal and total coliform counts and thus values decreased with increasing distance from pollutant sites. The qualities of the drinking water sources in public places were therefore not compatible for human consumption without proper treatment. Regular monitoring of groundwater quality, enactment of healthy waste disposal practices and strict enforcement of modern techniques in water management is highly recommended.