Most domestic water sources contaminated, says report

ISLAMABAD: Most domestic water sources are tainted with chemical, microbiological and organic contaminants, experts said in a report.

According to a fact-sheet on ground water quality, many sectors contribute to Pakistan’s water quality challenges and non-compliance of standards overwhelmed the efforts of regulatory authorities.

The report was conducted under the Australia-Pakistan Indus Sustainable Development Investment Portfolio (SDIP), a 12-year regional programme focused on the Water-Food-Energy connection in three large river basins in South Asia in collaboration with Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR).



A joint collaboration between Australia’s Commonwealth and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and PCRWR conducted a water quality monitoring programme in Ravi and Sutlej rivers.

PCRWR sampled groundwater and drain water every month between August last year and July this year.

These monthly samples were analysed for chemical, trace metal and microbiological contamination. Samples in August last year (high flow) and January this year (low flow) were also analysed for organic pollutants in addition to other parameters.

Groundwater quality

“Most shallow ground water sources … were contaminated with physico-chemical and microbiological contaminants, heavy metals and even pesticides,” the report stated.

The report also stated that shallow ground water near Kasur Nullah was found to be contaminated with heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants.

River water quality

The study also found that the water quality of River Ravi was more degraded than that of Sutlej River.

“The levels of dissolved oxygen, biological and chemical oxygen demand in Ravi River all failed to meet the water quality standards for effluent waste streams,” the report stated.



The study demonstrated that the contaminated river water also posed a serious threat to fish and other aquatic life while the microbiological contamination level, such as faecal coliforms, which was present in heavy amount, posed a serious health risk.

Drain water quality

The report pointed out that the River Ravi acts as a wastewater drain because it carries sewerage from Lahore and industrial waste matter generated from nearby industries.

“Not a single drain in the monitoring programme complied with the Pakistan National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) for effluent waste streams,” it said.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 2^nd, 2016.