Assessment of Seasonal Variation on Physicochemical and Microbiological Quality of Drinking Water at Mannuthy, Kerala

Abstract

ABSTRACT A study was conducted to assess seasonal variation in physicochemical and microbiological quality of drinking water at Mannuthy in Thrissur district of Kerala state. A total of 100 well water samples, 25 each during four different seasons, viz. summer, pre-monsoon, monsoon and post monsoon were collected during the year 2009 and analyzed for temperature, pH, total hardness, Chemical Oxygen Demand, concentration of nitrate, fluoride, iron, heavy metals like lead, mercury, zinc, cadmium, Aerobic Plate Count, Coliform count, Escherichia coli and Enterococcal counts. Significant difference between seasons could be observed in all parameters studied except Chemical Oxygen Demand, concentration of mercury and Escherichia coli and enterococcal counts. The results were compared with WHO guidelines, 2006 and Bureau of Indian Standards (IS: 10500, 1991) desirable limits for drinking water