The study attempts to determine the water quality of all available sources of water be it surface, ground or waste water and find out the likely sources of pollution for the Hardwar district of Uttar Pradesh. The physico-chemical parameters of the water were determined. The effect of monsoon on the water quality was studied by collecting and analyzing the pre and post monsoon samples.
The possible sources of water pollution have been determined and discussed. It has been observed that the main sources of pollution are municipal, industrial and agricultural activities, land disposal of solid wastes, sewage disposal on land and geochemical reactions. The poor quality of groundwater up to 50 ft is due to the leaching of inorganics and organics in the aquifers. The leaching of these contaminants beyond 50 ft till 100 feet is not observed as of now but the likelihood remains in the times to come.
The results obtained from wastewater indicate that it is highly polluted. The effect of monsoon on the water quality has been studied and no marked effect other than dilution effect of the rain has been found on the water quality of the district. In some of the cases, the value of chemical oxygen demand (COD) has increased in the post monsoon season. It may be due to the addition of certain chemical in water resources in post monsoon season.
The results obtained were compared with the permissible values (Indian standards) and it was found that the water quality of surface and groundwater is safe except in some cases. It has also been observed that the quality of groundwater is poor in the upper zone while it is better at depths above 100 feet. The SAR values calculated for the surface, ground and wastewater indicate that the waters are of excellent and good classes from the irrigation point of view.
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