ASSESSMENT OF GROUNDWATER QUALITY FOR DRINKING AND DOMESTIC USE: IMPLICATIONS FOR WATER SAFETY IN EL-ARISH CITY, NORTH SINAI, EGYPT

Document Type : Researches

Authors

1 Dept. Soil and Water, Fac. Environ. Agric. Sci., Arish Univ., Egypt.

2 Dept. Soil Fertility and Microbiol., Desert Res. Cent., El-Matariya, Egypt.

Abstract

The current study assesses groundwater quality and its appropriateness for drinking and domestic use using numerous microbiological and chemical characteristics for 55 waters well samples taken from various places in El-Arish region, North Sinai, Egypt based on residential districts i.e., Abosakl, Elresh, Karam Abongellh, Elbahr, and City Center. The study compares the results of various water quality criteria and uses statistical analysis to find the source of pollution. This research aims to study the water characteristics and evaluates the acceptability of water samples which collected from the study region for human consumption. Microbiological examinations, including total bacterial counts and total coliform counts, were conducted to assess the microbial quality of the water. The results indicated that while some water samples exceeded standard specifications for total bacterial counts, they still fell within internationally permitted limits. Coliform bacteria indicate possible fecal contamination but remain within acceptable limits for most samples. The study also analyzes some chemical characteristics of the water such as pH and electrical conductivity (EC). The pH values are outside the permissible limits according to standard specifications. The electrical conductivity values indicate potential water quality issues but are within the recommended limits for most samples except Abosakl and the City Center districts. In addition, multi-element analyses reveal elevated elements such as ammonia, nitrate, boron, lead, and nickel in the groundwater samples. These elements may be attributed to various anthropogenic sources and require further investigation and remediation. The findings underscore the significance of monitoring and controlling water quality to guarantee that the population can access clean drinking water, particularly in border cities such as El-Arish, North Sinai, Egypt.

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