Abstract:
The residences of Chancho town depend on tube wells water for drinking and other
activities. The aim of this study was to assess the drinking water quality of this water and to
check the water quality along storage reservoirs and all the way to the end users (private tap
water and household containers). Descriptive study was conducted to assess the quality of
drinking water supply in Chancho town at the point of storage reservoirs, end user taps and
household container water system. The water handling practice and sanitary condition in the
town was also studied. Data were collected using stratified simple random selection method and
questionnaire responses. Thirty triplicate water samples were collected from 2 reservoirs, 14 end
user taps and 14 household containers. TC and FC were determined using Membrane Filtration
method. Nitrate and phosphate were determined using HACH LANGE DR-2800 Photometer by
Ascorbic acid method and Cadmium Reduction methods, respectively. TH, Ca2+, and Mg2+ were
determined by EDTA Titrimetric Method. The rest physicochemical parameters (turbidity,
Temp., pH, TDS and EC) were determined using field laboratory equipments mercury
thermometer, pH meter, CL 5LD turbid meter and Con 2700 Conductivity meter. Two hundred
sixty-six samples of households were selected for the questionnaire by stratified simple random
selection method. Mean values of Temp., pH, Turbidity EC, and TDS, were 17.60±0.80 oC,
6.07±0.21, 0.69±0.06NTU, 287.83±7.98μS/cm, and 260.85±6.89mg/l, respectively. Turbidity,
TDS, and EC values achieved with WHO (2011) standard but, and pH were not compared with
WHO (2011) standard. Similarly, mean values of NO3
-, PO4
3-, TH, Ca2+ and Mg2+were
0.23±0.09mg/l, 0.20±0.07mg/l, 127.89±3.57mg/l, 30.86±1.44mg/l and 12.39±1.89mg/l,
respectively which were fulfilled with WHO (2011) standard. Test results for FC and TC
(14.89±10.42CFU/100ml and 34.90±19.11CFU/100ml, respectively) indicated that the water
samples did not fulfilled with WHO (2011) standard. Correlation matrix shows that the results
were statistically highly significant (p < 0.01) and moderately significant (p < 0.05). The study
revealed that the water is contaminated by bacteria. Therefore, treatment of water and public
health education to improve the water handling practice of the people in the area are very
important.